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Is Wireless Ready for the Enterprise?
The next wave of wireless devices and services are on the horizon, but it's unclear whether they'll truly enable wireless for the enterprise.
by Steve Makofsky

For this solution: PDA or laptop, GSM/GPRS wireless adapter, 802.11b compact flash or PCMCIA adapter

Anxiously awaited for 2.5G and 3G technologies are no longer as compelling as they once seemed (see the sidebar, "Get the Buzz on Wireless Technology"). This is especially true now that lower-cost (and IT-maintainable) wireless solutions, such as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), have spread uncontrollably throughout the enterprise, small offices, and retail spaces.

Given the option to use my phone or my laptop and/or PDA to surf the Internet and access corporate resources, the larger screen and keyboard, and the decent Web browser and high-speed connection I get with WiFi, makes it my first choice. Another reason for this choice is that cellular carriers are taking their time rolling out next-generation services. Don't get me wrong: I'm an avid supporter of wireless Internet and wireless devices, but I'm not convinced you can do anything practical on a six-line Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) screen, using T9 for keyboard entry, even if the application is only calling into a .NET Web service. I hate to admit it, but the more I research the new technology going into today's wireless-anywhere cellular devices, the more I wonder if any of the offerings are ready for the enterprise.

This raises two key issues vendors need to address to be winners in the next generation of wireless devices: convergence and seamless network hopping. In this article, I'll look at the technologies various vendors provide to address these issues at this time, and where they can stand to make improvements. I'll also touch on what you can do now to provide a workable wireless solution in the enterprise.

Figure 1 View the New Convergence Devices

Convergence is basically integrating related technologies seamlessly. I'm a big gadget guy, but it annoys me I have to carry several devices every time I travel to stay connected—I'm basically a walking electronics shop (and airport security loves me). On any given trip, I have my cell phone for calls, my PDA to check contacts and appointments, and my laptop for serious work. Although the idea of merging a phone with a PDA isn't new, the next-generation of "communicators" seem to have learned from failed predecessors, such as the Qualcomm pdQ (can you say brick?). You simply can't shove a phone into a PDA, or slap PDA functionality into a phone. From a simple ergonomics and usability standpoint, it doesn't work and isn't practical. So, what are device manufacturer's solutions (see Figure 1)?