A new study by analysts at Sage Research indicates that Wireless LANs are rapidly gaining acceptance in the enterprise. The study, called, “Wireless LAN Adoption: A Quantitative Analysis,” polled network managers from 129 US organizations. The companies chosen had more than 100 employees each.
The report underscores the idea that WLANs are become mainstream, reliable technologies, rather than niche technology for early adopters. Sage’s President Kathryn Krostoff stated that nearly one-third of the organizations surveyed had some wireless technolgies already integrated into their IT deployments.
Results of the survey revealed that more than half of the companies polled state that they are likely to install WLANs in the next two years. One of the key factors driving WLAN adoption in the enterprise has been the steady growth of the number of workers who rely on handhelds, laptops, and other mobile devices. Companies explicitly stated that this was a determining factor in the infrastructure investment consideration.
Sage analysts pointed out that actual implementation may fall far short of the companies goals. However, the trend does indicate the acceptance of the technology on both the consumer and enterprise level.