WiFi and BYOD

BYOD changing the WiFi game

The need to deliver a robust quality WiFi service for mass public logons and mobility, which is a de-facto requirement with BYOD and voice & data mobility services, is a game changer for wireless connectivity. 

“In short” says Mark Shane, sales director at ICON “although wireless has been around for a number of years it is only recently with the demand for BYOD and VoWiFi that it is developing as a technology.  When these are deployed the channel is really at the very start of the technology learning curve and that’s where the vendor/distributor comes in by taking the channel up the curve with education assistance and support.” 

“The problem with wireless connectivity” says Mark Shane “ is that with BYOD trend and the move to VoWiFi people think that Wireless Connectivity is Wireless mobility.  Its not, wireless connectivity and wireless mobility are as different as chalk and cheese.”

 Wireless connectivity must support Triple Play applications  -  Voice, Video & Data -  and provide mobility for each

  Winning a slice of the market

 Understand the business and the technology

With a demand for BYOD that is expected to soar over the next few years wireless connectivity and mobility services are the next big growth opportunity for the channel.  An understanding of the business capabilities and applications that are available, and a mastery of the technology, are the key to being able to sell, design, and deploy a trouble free solution.

In the SOHO environment where a single base station is all that it needed, wireless connectivity can be made to deliver an acceptable service but in an enterprise or SMB deployment where multiple access points are needed to achieve the coverage wireless connectivity and mobility services are often compromised by the technology limitations of the vendors solution.

Even the experienced wireless installer can face difficulties when VoWiFi is factored in. Mark observed,

Wireless connectivity in the workplace is a minefield for the inexperienced.  Once a solution gets beyond a single base station, as it will in an SMB or enterprise deployment, the game changes.   

 

Choose the right partner

 There are few companies in the channel with the knowledge and experience needed to deploy a trouble free wireless solution. Working closely with a vendor or skilled distributor is the only way forward for resellers wanting to build a new revenue stream in this lucrative market.  ICON with its vendor partners Extricom and Spectralink is actively pursuing a programme of knowledge transfer for the traditional comms reseller needing a primer in wireless and the IT networking company facing with the need to deliver a VoWiFi solution.  

Mark said

“The reseller who understands the business imperatives and revenue opportunities as well as how to deliver the technology is the winner in these situations. 

“At this stage of market development the vendor and distributor is key in getting this understanding into the channel.

“ICON with its vendor partners Extricom and Spectralink actively engaged the channel in this knowledge transfer through  a series of well received road shows around the UK  and is planning to carry this forward with similar programmes.”

Applications in the driving seat

Applications are the driving force in the market.   Mark commented

“The dumb handset if a thing of the past.  The smart phone revolution means that people want more from their handset than just voice connectivity and apps are not just for BYOD.  At ICON we support the Spectralink range of wireless handsets which are voice and data enabled and which can support apps dedicated to medical, logistics and hospitality applications.

 Business

In the business environment popular apps are those aimed at personal safety, not just for lone workers but also for employees in public facing roles such as in hospitals.
  
 

 Hospitality

Apps are being used in the hospitality sector where apps deliver key operation information to staff.  

In the hospitality sector the hot app is fire alert notification.  False alerts cause guest frustration and are an unwanted expense for the hotel.  In some cities fire brigades are charging for false call outs.  WiFi handsets such as those available from Spectralink integrate with fire panel solutions and support apps that help staff manage fire and other alerts.  

Healthcare

In healthcare, apps to support care givers are growing in numbers.  Spectralink's 8400 series handsets support a number of patient management apps and personal safety apps.  These include apps for the dispensing of medications as well as accessing patient records.

Stadium 

Apps are also being used in sports, where stadium sponsored apps deliver real time information to fans.  Mark Shane observed

“With the availability of BYOD, fans inside a stadium are demanding real time information about the game in progress.  For the stadium “fan apps” represents a revenue earning opportunity.  Delivering these apps over the gsm network can result in a poor user experience.  Free WiFi is the route many stadiums are taking and a number of stadiums have already installed Extricom’s LPV (Large Public Venue) WiFi solution”  

 In the US Extricom’s LPV solution has been deployed in Houston's famed 18,023-seated Toyota Centre and has enabled journalists to stream real-time content and fans to access social media, an NBA All Star App, and a host of other digital platforms.  

A check list for WiFi Deployment

Mark Shane commented 

“Network security is the issue everyone talks about when you mention BYOD.  However there are deployment issues which if not ticked off will kill a solution dead before network security has a chance to work and in some cases will compromise security at the same time. Bandwidth, WiFi generations, and physical security are some of the solution killers which can get the inexperienced installer into murky waters if not handled correctly.”

 WiFi generations

Installers need to check out the BYOD devices that will be allowed to register on the wireless network

The Extricom solution is ideal for mixed generation WiFi devices

Allowing mixed generation registrations can seriously degrade a service.  A wireless network will always run at the slowest of the devices subscribed so no matter have fast your new shiny smartphone can work if it is register to a wireless network it will connect at the rate of the slowest device.  This means poor user experience, frustration and possible loss of revenue unless the installer plans ahead.
 
Separating the WiFi generations can overcome this but this is only possible with some solutions such as the Extricom infrastructure.  Installers need to qualify the performance level that is going to be acceptable to the user and either has chosen a solution that accommodates registering earlier generations of wireless or exclude the slow first generation devices from loging on. 

 Physical security

Another key checklist item is the physical security of the access points.

This is a key requirement in some government solutions.  Physical tampering or theft of an access point represents a serous potential for breach of network security.  The classical access point contains all the information a thief needs to be able to access the system so they need to be made secure.  And if you have 10, 20, 30, access point on your solution you have 10, 20, 30 opportunities for tampering unless of course you are using one of the Extricom solutions where the access point does not contain any registration information.  

This is such an important issue that only a handful of access points are able to meet security compliance specs and except in the case of Extricom all solutions do this by locking the access point to wall. 

Product certification : How valid is this as a requirement and what real benefits ensue for the user.

Mark Shane, Sales Director at ICON is a fervent believer and supporter of certification. 

“It opens up the market for third party vendors, guarantees the performance of the solution, and delivers choice for the end user”

ICON distributes Microsoft Lync certified SpectraLink Wi-Fi and DECT handset solutions and, says Mark,

“We see certification is a positive thing.  It benefits the end user and the VAR, as much as it does Microsoft.”  

“Certification is not a barrier to supply erected by Microsoft but a quality control measure.  By requiring certification, Microsoft is doing no more than every traditional IP-PBX vendor does - ensuring that the quality of experience of the end user is consistent.” 

Microsoft Lync qualified

Traditional IP-PBX vendor have full control over their solutions and the endpoints.  They can tweak, modify and change their solution at the design stage so that with their recommended endpoint it delivers a known and controlled experience for the end user.   

It is for this reason, most traditional IP-PBX vendors do not support un-branded endpoints on their solutions – they cannot guarantee a consistent end user experience.  This is good for the vendor but for the end user it limits the choice of endpoint to the few provided by the vendor.

“Certification is a win-win for everyone,” says Mark “It opens up the market for third party vendors and increases choice for the end user.  Users get a choice of endpoint and a solution that delivers to a defined functionality." 

"The VAR gets the confidence that comes from the knowledge that the solution will perform to a known level and is supported.   Microsoft gets to ensure that the user experience is consistent no matter what endpoint is used.”

Butterfly Competition

To mark the launch of the Butterfly ICON, is promoting a competition to organisations to win a Butterfly voice mobility solution .

Competition Prize

In February, Polycom, also known for its video conferencing solutions, launched its newest wireless handset series: the KIRK Butterfly.  The Butterfly is the latest in a line of handsets designed to give mobility to staff ranging from shop floor employees to boardroom executives and at the same time support the latest Unified Communications solutions from Microsoft and others. 

A voice mobility solution from Polycom integrates with an organisations telephone solution and work processes to help staff at all levels to,

•         Manage on the move

•         Get crucial information immediately

•         Build closer more effective teams

•         Eliminate delays, kick start work

In short, a voice mobility solution makes business run smoother (to learn more about how these solutions can benefit the workplace check out our  “Benefits of a mobility solution” web page.

A Polycom voice mobility solution can integrate with other on-premises applications, such as nurse call systems, location-based services, and voice recognition systems to streamline everyday business processes.  Polycom voice mobility solutions are used in organisations ranging from small offices to large process plants where the environment can be hazardous and potentially explosive and the handset range includes speciality handsets for medical, industrial and office use.   

The new Polycom Butterfly solution is aimed at carpeted type environments (offices, retail floors, schools, hotels and similar).  The Butterfly voice mobility solution is supported on the Microsoft Lync Server 2010.  It can be used to connect to Microsoft UC environments and with hosted IP telephone solutions. 

The Butterfly handset is available in a range of fashionable colours - white, black, green, red, and blue. This wide colour palette has been provided to enable the handset to be used to underline business identity or to distinguish employee groups.

Mark Shane, Sales Director at importer and distributor ICON says,

“Butterfly delivers a handset for public workspaces and offices where the accent is on style image and brand.  Until now business handsets have been strictly utilitarian but with Butterfly the handset becomes part of the company image.  It says modern, forward looking and leading edge and delivers this at a very competitive price and without compromising the Polycom KIRK brand values for performance, build quality and toughness. “

The competition closes at 11.55pm on the 30 June 2012.  To find out how to win a Butterfly Voice mobility solution for your business visit www.icon-plc.co.uk./Butterfly where you can learn more about the new handset and submit an entry.