cherezoff - stock.adobe.com
Enterprise WLAN industry makes tracks
IDC research finds wireless connectivity remains a top priority for global business as bandwidth demands continue to increase and near real-time business applications require lower latencies
Words like exciting are not routinely bandied about enterprise wireless networking, but that’s exactly how research firm IDC describes the worldwide enterprise WLAN (wireless local area network) market right now.
In its Worldwide enterprise WLAN 2019 vendor assessment report, IDC found that, fundamentally, the number of users and devices accessing enterprise networks continues to rise and wireless connectivity between and among them remains a top priority for organisations around the globe. At the same time, bandwidth demands continue to increase as near real-time business applications required lower latencies.
The report identified Cisco and HPE-Aruba as its 2019 leaders in the enterprise WLAN market. Major players and contenders included ADTRAN, Arista-Mojo Networks, Cambium-Xirrus, CommScope-Ruckus, Extreme-Aerohive, Fortinet, Huawei, Juniper-Mist Systems and Ubiquiti. Alcatel Lucent Enterprise was cited as a supplier to watch.
IDC senior research analyst Brandon Butler said this is an exciting time in the enterprise WLAN industry, adding: “Enterprises are tackling [business] challenges with new investments in their enterprise WLANs, and increasingly they are doing so while exploring broader enterprise campus investments in Ethernet switching, internet of things management, and software-defined wide area networks [SD-WAN] too. Wi-Fi 6 will help organisations to address the next generation of their wireless enterprise infrastructure.”
Going forward, IDC’s report advised businesses that when evaluating WLAN systems, they should focus on supplier support for mission-critical applications and functionality, scalability and return on investment. The analyst said users should identify the best architecture and consumption model for their particular deployment in order to meet the needs of organisational security and operations.
Read more about wireless LAN
- Extreme Networks’ Aerohive acquisition would fill a gap in Extreme’s WLAN portfolio by adding a cloud-based management option competitive with Cisco and Aruba.
- 802.11ac plays crucial role in enterprise WLAN market growth, as companies felt the pressure to upgrade their wireless infrastructure. But 802.11ax is the future.
- Compare WLAN tools and learn the questions to ask before a buying decision. Beyond cloud and on-premise systems, WLAN vendors offer features for many deployment types.
