Cut
the Cord
By
Joseph C. Panettieri
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Small businesses are discovering the flexibility and financial benefits of going wireless.
When Tom Hespos gives PowerPoint presentations to clients in his Manhattan
office, there are no strings attached. Literally.
Hespos, president of Underscore Marketing LLC, has embraced wireless
networks throughout his small business. E-mail, Web access and business
files are only a few keystrokes away as employees move about Underscore's
office with wireless notebook computers or handheld PCs at their fingertips.
But that's not all. Underscore employees also have wireless networks
in their homes. And when they hit the road, employees check e-mail at
Starbucks locations, major airports, hotel lobbies and hundreds of retail
sites that offer wireless "hot spot" connectivity. "Our
staff is able to work from pretty much anywhere," Hespos says.
"We just pick up our laptops and go.
"Underscore Marketing isn't entirely unique. Across the
nation, more and more small businesses are cutting their cords. Notebook
computers, PC keyboards, mice, printers, handheld computers and even
office phone systems are widely available in wireless configurations
from scores of prominent hardware makers (see sample product listing,
below).
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The
stampede to wireless systems makes sense. For starters, wireless gear
eliminates the need for network cable, which can cost hundreds or thousands
of dollars to string from room to room through walls, ceilings or floors.
With wireless networks, employees are no longer tethered to a specific
desk or office space. Moreover, multiple PCs, notebook computers and
handheld systems can share printers and a single high-speed Internet
connection (such as cable or digital subscriber line [DSL]) over a small
office's wireless network.
A critical mass of networking companies -- from Cisco Systems Inc.
to 3Com Corp. -- now offers wireless gear for small businesses. And
Intel Corp.'s $300 million marketing campaign for its wireless
notebook technology, known as Centrino, has sparked even more interest
in wireless systems. Indeed, wireless networking sales topped $2.5 billion
in 2003, up a robust 40 percent from 2002, according to Synergy Research
Group Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz. By the end of this year, more than 50
percent of business notebook PCs will have wireless network capabilities,
estimates Gartner Inc., a market research firm in Stamford, Conn.
Getting Started
To the technophobe, wireless systems may sound complicated, expensive
and intimidating. But, in reality, a wireless computer network requires
only about two hours to install and configure. The installation requires
nothing more than a wireless network switch (about $150 or less) and
wireless PC adapter cards (about $100 per notebook or handheld computer,
though most new notebooks now include built-in wireless capabilities).
The switch -- typically installed on an office wall or ceiling -- is
about the size of a hardcover book. The switch acts like a digital traffic
cop that directs data among wireless computers, printers and an Internet
pipeline (such as a DSL or cable modem). Each computer must be within
a few hundred feet of the network switch to communicate wirelessly.
Small businesses that lack dedicated technology staffs can turn to retailers,
resellers and consultants for installation services. Retail chains like
Best Buy and Circuit City are an ideal starting point for product recommendations
and installation tips.
Hardware makers are also working closely with consulting firms. CEDX
Corp., for instance, has deployed Cisco's wireless gear for barber
shops, retail stores, bed and breakfasts, and larger hotels across Long
Island and Manhattan. "My small-business customers are looking
to wireless to reduce or eliminate their facility cabling costs,"
says Craig Plunkett, managing principal at the East Northport, N.Y.--based
consulting firm.
In addition to installation services, CEDX performs "site surveys"
to determine the feasibility and potential cost of a wireless deployment.
The survey also ascertains where in an office wireless gear is best
suited to broadcast a strong signal to wireless notebooks and other
mobile systems.
When properly configured, a wireless network switch can support dozens
of employees and approved office visitors. Current Communications Inc.
(www.currentcom.com), a Portland, Ore.--based small business that
specializes in video and computer animation, uses 3Com's OfficeConnect
gear to blanket its office with wireless network connectivity. "And
approved subcontractors who visit can share video files and digital
content over the network using secure wireless connections," says
Jay Rymeski, an executive producer at Current.
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| At
home with wireless technology: Coldwell Banker's Jennie
Morrisons. |
Hardware
makers are also working closely with consulting firms. CEDX Corp., for
instance, has deployed Cisco's wireless gear for barber shops,
retail stores, bed and breakfasts, and larger hotels across Long Island
and Manhattan. "My small-business customers are looking to wireless
to reduce or eliminate their facility cabling costs," says Craig
Plunkett, managing principal at the East Northport, N.Y.--based
consulting firm.
In addition to installation services, CEDX performs "site surveys"
to determine the feasibility and potential cost of a wireless deployment.
The survey also ascertains where in an office wireless gear is best
suited to broadcast a strong signal to wireless notebooks and other
mobile systems.
When properly configured, a wireless network switch can support dozens
of employees and approved office visitors. Current Communications Inc.
(www.currentcom.com),
a Portland, Ore.--based small business that specializes in video
and computer animation, uses 3Com's OfficeConnect gear to blanket
its office with wireless network connectivity. "And approved subcontractors
who visit can share video files and digital content over the network
using secure wireless connections," says Jay Rymeski, an executive
producer at Current.
Wireless
on the Go
Meanwhile, real estate brokers, insurance agents and other mobile sales
forces are embracing wireless on the road. Many of these road warriors
have discovered the power of cellular wireless cards for their notebook
computers.
Unlike wireless networks within a small business, connecting notebook
computers to wireless cellular networks involves a monthly service fee,
typically ranging from $40 to $100. That cost may intimidate some small
businesses, but many successful salespeople say the cost is easy to
justify.
"I've got NO WIRES unless I want them," writes real
estate agent Jennie Morrison in an e-mail sent from her Sony Vaio notebook.
"My system weighs 2 pounds, fits in my purse, and a Sprint wireless
card gives me coverage [i.e., connectivity] from almost anywhere.
"Morrison, an agent at Coldwell Banker Moffitt & Associates
in Overland Park, Kan., is always finding new ways to leverage her wireless
notebook. For instance, the computer has a built-in digital camera that
allows her to photograph home listings for prospective buyers. "Maybe
a customer wants to see a particular feature of a house, but doesn't
have time to visit the home," Morrison says. "With my wireless
notebook, I can take a quick picture and e-mail it to a prospective
buyer in an instant.
"Despite their popularity, wireless networks aren't perfect.
In some installations, microwave ovens and steel elevator shafts have
been known to interfere with or block wireless communications. Also,
many small businesses don't know how to activate security and
encryption software that comes bundled with wireless gear.
Fortunately, there's no shortage of wireless consultants willing
to lend a hand. Every major networking company's Web site includes
a list of certified partners that install wireless networks.
| Know Your Options |
Devices:
Wireless network switches Devices:
Wireless Internet Protocol (IP) phones Devices:
Wireless keyboards and mice |
