The 'Thin' Access Point Approach
Wi-Fi Planet: A summarized version of the "thin" vs. "fat" access point debate. Traditional APs are loaded with functionality far beyond what is necessary to comply with 802.11 protocols. This extra functionality includes security and management control. In some cases, the complexity of these devices can preclude firmware upgrades and, instead, make changeouts the only way to upgrade or comply with new standards. Finally, the presence of so many configuration parameters eats up a lot of network bandwidth. Thin APs, from vendors such as Legra and Airespace, centralize intelligence in wireless switches. Thus, the APs are far simpler, easier to operate, and can handle roaming handoffs much faster. Though the author clearly favors the thin approach, he concludes by counseling IT managers to consider the total cost of each solution.

802.11 Standard Confusion Becoming a Growing Concern
Mobile Pipeline: A few weeks ago we linked to a story about a tiff between chip makers Broadcom and Atheros. The question is whether products made by the latter that go beyond the 802.11g standard interfere with neighboring wireless transmission systems. That was perhaps the highest profile example of the trend noted in this story. Products that add proprietary adjuncts to IEEE standards — or anticipate standards that haven't been released — are appearing. The story suggests that deploying proprietary equipment can be risky, and that enterprises should resist the temptation to grab features that aren't yet in certified products.

Building Secure Enterprise WLANs
Network Computing: A detailed overview and reader survey — typical Network Computing treatment — for wireless LAN security. A variety of topics are linked to. The bottom line is that it's possible to deploy secure WLANs, but not easy. Security protocols are confusing and moving targets. Other solutions — such as virtual private networks — add layers to manage and may not be seamless to users. The stories have plenty of good information on key issues and vendors' products. The package ends with graphics depicting reader answers to five important questions on security as it impacts the current and future status of enterprise WLANs.

Question: Are companies becoming more comfortable with their traveling employees using public hotspots?
Denman: Corporate CIOs one-and-a-half years ago were pretty uniformly saying, "There is no way I'll ever let my workforce connect through to my network via Wi-Fi hotspots." They would go on and say that they are not secure, and on and on. There's been an interesting change in that dialogue during the past six to nine months: The same people began to ask a lot more questions about Wi-Fi and security. It wasn't that adamant a position. It became a dialogue. They wanted to know a lot more about the technology as quickly as possible. The reasons were that their employees were using it anyway. Because they were not providing a solution, their workforce was figuring out a way. They were "buying by the drink [at hotspots]," so to speak, and using their personal credit cards instead of their corporate cards and vouchering the charge.

Question: Do companies realize that if they don't allow employees to use public hotspots they may be at a competitive disadvantage?
Denman: I can tell you that CIOs and corporate IT managers have absolutely concluded that secure connectivity equates to productivity. That's a clear winner in their mind. That's why I think iPass continues to have such good success even in hard times. Companies see that they get productivity by enabling their workforce to connect securely to corporate networks from wherever they are. Basically, what corporations notice is that when they give people tools to work more, they tend to work all the time. It is absolutely clear to the enterprise that's a very good thing. The oxygen issue is security. If they don't have security, it's all over. You've got to have oxygen; you've got to have security.

Question: What advantages does a company such as iPass bring to the party?
Denman: What we're just beginning to see is that companies are enabling their workforces to leverage business-oriented venues, public hotspot venues. One of the reasons they are doing that ... is because they now have a service they can buy — through companies such as iPass — that gives them the benefit of purchasing power. They have access to a service where there already is an aggregated footprint, there's already a negotiated pricing structure. The company's employees don't go from venue to venue to venue, maybe getting nickeled and dimed. Enterprises don't want to buy like that. They want service contracts, they want to have control of costs and control of billing. What the enterprise wants is the same seamless intuitive user interface for the common denominator employee, so he can easily hook up whether on dial-up, ISDN, Ethernet in a hotel, Wi-Fi or, soon, GPRS or 3G, at home on DSL or cable modem or on the campus LAN.

52 percent
Survey respondents who fear that lack of interoperability between providers will retard the growth of the push-to-talk category.
Source: Unstrung

5,852
Informal complaints on WLNP portability as of February 25. AT&T Wireless "led" with 2,787 complaints. Nextel was last with 420.
Source: Federal Communications Commission

Qwest Launches National Wireless Service
America's Network: Qwest Communications is targeting small businesses and consumers in its 14-state core region with a national wireless network. Previously, the company offered wireless services, but not with a national footprint. The network will use Sprint PCS's voice network. Per-minute and flat rate plans are available. The story says that the move is further evidence that wireless is becoming a central offering by telephony providers and that carriers without this option are at a competitive disadvantage.

PARC Lays Groundwork for Future Wireless Network
Palo Alto Research Center: The Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) has introduced two technologies to ease wireless networking. The first centers on automated and inexpensive use of public and private key infrastructure (PKI) to ensure security. The second, named Obje, enables cross-platform interoperability. The security technique enabled users in a test to set up a wireless connection at the highest level of security in two steps taking less than two minutes. The company says that traditional methods to achieve the same level of security take 90 minutes and more than 30 steps. Obje enables unrelated devices to "learn" to work together without shared standards. All devices need not have the software to create the ad hoc networks.

Has Unified Messaging Finally Arrived?
SearchMobileComputing.com: Unified messaging — the ability to conduct any communications through a single device and to have messages find the user no matter where he or she is — has long been an elusive dream. In this Q&A, Probe Research vice president Lynda Starr suggests that unified messaging may be arriving. Drivers, she says, are increasing mobility and a greater need for availability. Starr lists the advantages of unified messaging and says that it is especially valuable to companies with large mobile forces.

Camera Phones, USB Drives Pose Enterprise Security Risk
TechWeb: Gartner says that though camera phones and other mobile devices pose security risks, they should not be banned. The rationale is that companies don't have the resources to enforce such edicts on camera phones, which will represent about eight in 10 cell phones shipped in the U.S. and Europe by 2006. The more prudent approach, the company says, is to designate security zones where they are restricted and enforce guidelines on their use in other areas. Security policies should also cover USB-based flash drives and DVD burners on company workstations.