Broadband News

Employee mobility is the leading factor for UK businesses adopting wireless broadband technologies, a new study has found.

According to research carried out by the Wi-Fi assurance solutions provider AirMagnet, 43 per cent of the firms questioned claimed that allowing their staff to be free to work online anywhere in the office is the biggest attraction of the new technology, with 23 per cent citing the convenience of wireless technology as the most important factor, while 12 per cent adopted it as it was seen as improving productivity.

Of the firms questioned which had already installed wireless internet within the workplace, the majority were happy with the results, with 63 per cent stating that they intend to increase investment in their network in the future.

However, security issues remain the number one concern of those businesses reluctant to adopt Wi-Fi, with 43 per cent of the companies without the technology citing this as the principal reason.

In addition, 29 per cent of companies are delaying wireless implementation as they believe wireless alternatives to be slower or less reliable than traditional, wired networks, the study found.

Commenting on the findings, Ian Schenkel, managing director of AirMagnet, stated: "The research demonstrates that although many companies have already moved to a combination of wired and wireless networks in the office to increase employee productivity, incorrect preconceptions are continuing to hold many more back.

"This means that most are still missing out on the increased productivity, mobility and convenience delivered by wireless networks."

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