Brave New Wireless World

 

Not since the arrival of USB ports has there been a technology that has so shaped the ease and flexibility of connectivity. From cell phones to hotspots, the applications for wireless technologies seems endless. In 2006, according to Plunkett Research, Ltd., there were over 800 million cell phones worldwide. They predict that by the end of 2007 there will be over one billion people accessing the internet via wireless devices. Wireless has gone from something cool and interesting a few years back to being expected today. In fact with cell phones, Bluetooth, iPods, iPhones, GPS, satellite dishes and more, the consumer market has woven wireless into the fabric of day-to-day living. Even my 2007 Camry has hands-free Bluetooth connectivity. It won’t be long until homes will come standard with a wireless backbone that links appliances to the net for service monitoring and the like.

But wireless doesn’t stop there. Industry has also embraced wireless with a passion. Can you even buy a laptop without wireless today? And it seems like eons ago that workstations within an office were connected to the network via CAT 5 cables. Today, setting up additional workstations doesn’t require new cable runs to the hub--just get a wireless modem and a log-in and you are in business. But it goes further than that. …