Having an All-Wireless Office is Totally Possible. Here’s How!

You likely use several wireless devices and enjoy their many advantages, like not having to be wired to your desk. Yet, it’s unlikely that you’ve transitioned your entire office to wireless technology. Thanks to the advancements and affordability of wireless technology, having an office that’s completely wireless may be entirely within the realm of possibility.

What would an all-wireless office look like? For one, there wouldn’t be any ethernet cables. Anyone who has ever worked with information technology, even on a basic level, should be picking their jaw off the floor right now at the thought of never having to touch an ethernet cable ever again. However, despite the all-wireless office sounding like something out of science fiction, having your office experience this wire-free utopia can be yours with enough planning and the implementation of the right wireless solutions.

Now, we know what your first perceived objection may be; the high cost of undergoing such a major transition to go wireless. Before you write off an all-wireless office as a frivolous expense, consider the results of Cisco’s Connected Workspace project, where they implemented an all-wireless office by removing allocated desks and offices in favor of hot-desks and meeting spaces that support mobile devices. ITProPortal reports: “The result has been a 30 percent reduction in floor space per person, increased productivity and a saving of $2.5k saving per employee per year.”

Spread this kind of savings around per worker, and the case to go wireless looks even more attractive if you have a large workforce.

Of course, transitioning to an all-wireless office is a big deal. It’s a rather complex process with multiple pieces and components in play. Therefore, it shouldn’t be attempted on a whim. Take for example these challenges of going wireless that you must first take into consideration.

• The management of your network: A wireless network will require the same oversight as a wired network, if not more due to the fact that a hacker will have more ways to access your data.
• Deploying resource-heavy solutions that use voice and video: Solutions like these are going to eat up a ton of bandwidth. You need to take into account how much traffic like this your network can handle at peak hours. Failure to do so will result in a slow network and downtime at the worst possible time.
• Higher user density from having multiple employees with multiple devices gathered in one spot: While it’s advantageous to have a wireless network that allows your team to gather in one space and collaborate while using their mobile devices, not having your wireless network be able to handle extra traffic at a single location will be counterproductive to your meetings.
• Meeting high user expectations: When laying out your wireless network, you’ll want to plan for your coverage to be as widespread as possible. For most end users, they expect a strong connection for their mobile devices wherever they may be in your office building, and even outside of it. Be warned, patchy wireless coverage will lead to employee grumblings.

For most businesses, the move to wireless will be slow as they upgrade their network piece-by-piece. Whether you’re going wireless slowly or in one fell swoop, the fact remains that the future is wireless and you need to be prepared for it.

Preferred is here to walk you through all of your networking needs, wireless and other. Call us today at 708-781-7110 to learn more.