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Rss FeedSprint, Clearwire in WiMAX venture; Indian workers don't want U.S. jobs. Listen now!
Qwest taps Verizon as wireless carrier; Apple wins big in Consumer Reports survey. Listen now!
Linux has proven itself to be a versatile solution across a variety of hardware architectures to support workloads ranging from basic infrastructure services to enterprise-class database deployments. Today, Linux is commonly found operating in some capacity within most larger organizations, and over time, it has captured many of the same workloads that previously were deployed aboard RISC platforms running Unix operating systems. Read IDC's report on how Oracle support differentiates itself in a commodity market.
Get the latest on storage technologies that allow IT professionals to better cope with new IT demands. Learn how storage technologies can help you successfully tackle e-Discover, regulatory compliance, green data center initiatives and the data explosion. Get all the details now.
Watch this webcast to learn in six modules how to more cost effectively consolidate your Windows servers with virtualization. This unique program allows you to pick and choose which of the six modules you would like to view or watch the entire webcast at once. Topics covered: Performance, Use Cases, Enterprise-level Support, Managing Windows Workloads, Setup and Configuration and The Future. Find out how you can simplify server consolidation within your organization today. Register below to learn more and be entered to win an Archos 605 Portable Media Player.
If Microsoft does nothing to fix the problem in a timely manner, that is wrong and makes for poor business...- Anonymous
Back in the day, wireless data was a neatly self-contained niche technology used by folks such as field force workers and logistics companies, but virtually ignored by everyone else.
In case it isn't obvious, those days are long gone. Alcatel Lucent says that 58% of mobile-equipped enterprise employees are using smartphones. Outside the workforce, the trend is even more noteworthy —74% of teenagers use their phones for more than voice.
Meanwhile, vendors and carriers are pushing ever-broader bandwidths, and working hard to integrate wireless and wireline infrastructures (more on that in a minute). So where's wireless headed? And how should enterprise IT executives prepare for the coming changes?
There are four major challenges. First lies in seizing control of wireless initiatives — all of them. Most IT folks are aware of (and manage) wireless LANs, but mobile devices are generally in someone else's budget (66% of enterprises say that mobile device budgets are handled outside of IT). Big mistake! To plan an effective wireless roadmap, IT needs to be in charge of mobile procurement and planning. Take charge here — get all of mobility into the IT budget.
Next, you need to sort through the explosion of wireless technologies and specs so you can place the right bets for your wireless road map. Here's a fast primer. There are two basic classes of wireless specs: those developed initially as LAN technologies, and those devised by carriers. LAN specs include the Wi-Fi suite of (802.11a,b,g, and n), and 802.16 and WiMAX. Telemetry (measuring and recording data wirelessly) is based on the 802.15 spec, an offshoot of the LAN technologies. Carrier specs encompass two main technologies, the GSM and CDMA families. GSM comprises GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPA and LTE; CDMA includes EV-DO and UMB.
In general, GSM dominates in Europe and is slowly gaining traction in the United States; LAN technologies (especially WiMAX) are stronger in the United States, where they're supported by some carriers (as of this writing Sprint and ClearWire remain committed to WiMAX).
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