The average user now carries two-three mobile devices for work (PC, smartphone, and tablet), with 68 percent of employee-owned devices used to access business applications. In the next five years it is estimated that more than 50 percent of mobile traffic will be from video and the number of application downloads is expected to increase to nearly 268 billion downloads by 2017.
With the increase in use of mobile devices for home and business¬—and the data heavy usage that accompanies it—comes the need for networks that support ever-increasing bandwidth at faster rates.
To effectively design flexible, scalable networks for today’s mobile workforce, focus on these three key areas:
1. Reduce complexity
New Zealand businesses need to support a myriad of both wired and wireless devices. To reduce complexity, the best approach is a unified platform that allows a “single pane of glass” management of the wired and wireless infrastructure. This approach can significantly reduce complexity, improve availability, simplify security and device configuration, and improve productivity.
2. Improve productivity
More and more business WLANs in New Zealand are finding it hard to handle the increasing demand for mobile access and higher bandwidth on their networks. Many businesses see disappointing results for their existing wireless LAN deployments because of poor experience and a network that does not scale to meet mobile needs. This is where the increased network bandwidth and gigabit AP capacity of 802.11ac can really help satisfy user demands.
3. Protect and secure the business
A comprehensive approach that protects against threats from inside and outside the network perimeter is the best defence – a simple firewall is no longer enough. Most businesses need an integrated, multi-layer security strategy that is centralized that protects the entire network, including mobile apps and identities, the cloud, virtualized apps data, and storage.
Need help?
If you want to learn more about designing and managing networks for your mobile workforce, visit our website today and give us a call on (09) 526-1800 or send us an email at info@resultit.co.nz and let us help you out.
