WiFi: The silver bullet for Smart Everything
WiFi’s use is already ubiquitous, but in the context of Smart Everything demand on this technology is set to increase exponentially as our ecosystems get “smarter”. From entire cities on a macro scale to individual homes and workplaces, as our collective desire for complete connectivity grows, WiFi will be the essential element.
Intelligence arrives at every segment
Last week, Maria Rodriguez, our Director of Marketing, Communication, and Design took part in an interesting panel debate about the Smart Home at South Summit. She pointed out that in the home, the way in which we access the internet has changed completely. Nowadays, we have more and more connected devices that demand connectivity. According to Qualcomm, by 2020 the average four-person household will have 50 smart devices. In this context, home WiFi coverage must be improved, especially when we take into account the fact that the majority of service calls received by operators are in relation to WiFi issues.
WiFi is having a transformative role in our workplaces as businesses rapidly adopt mobile-first strategies, in order to make the workplace a more productive environment. Companies are opening up their networks to new users and their devices, however, a large majority of these enterprises lack the budget and expertise to deliver the necessary security to support this activity. Demand is going to spike for WiFi solutions that enhance the visibility, control, and security of network access for all types of enterprises.
The retail sector will also feel the transformative effect of WiFi! E-commerce has already eaten away market share from physical retailers, so they need to act now and make the most of it. Customers want the same experience in-store as they have online, so brick and mortar retail stores need to align and combine the best of digital in a physical environment. Guest WiFi will play a fundamental role in this effort, helping retailers to meet consumer’s expectations, understand them better, and also boost engagement and loyalty.
According to the UN, 60% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2030. As cities get busier, and finite resources are put under strain, smart cities are required to improve efficiency. But the flow of communication is paramount to the success of a smart city, bringing together the intelligence of all working units within the ecosystem. And WiFi will be a major enabler because it is entirely standardized, a unique feature of WiFi that allows a huge range of personal and business devices to connect and communicate with each other.
“WiFi technology will evolve into having a much more strategic role in the next couple of years. It will go further than simply providing individual devices with connectivity, by ensuring that this connection is intelligent and efficient and that it really adds value. In every segment, there are unique opportunities: in the home, at work, in public places, and in cities. But in order to achieve mass adoption of Smart Everything, more and better services will be needed for managing networks, and it is essential to ensure a simple and intuitive user experience so the technology really is accessible for the end-user, and efficient from a business perspective” commented Maria.
Innovation has always been part of our DNA at Fon. With the intention of making managing WiFi networks smarter, and having listened to the needs of the market, we will soon be launching several innovative solutions!