The Next-Generation Wireless LAN

Wireless LAN technology is gaining broad acceptance and being adopted worldwide in organizations that clamor for the competitive advantage of an increasingly mobile and highly productive workforce. 

The Arrival of Wireless

Wireless technology for computer users is nothing new. The first connections were established two decades ago. Adoption, though, has proceeded very slowly, mostly limited to a few specialized vertical markets, such as warehousing, education, and retail.
Implementation has been slow for three reasons. First, the original wireless data rates were too slow to serve mainstream users on a shared LAN. Although throughput did gradually increase, network speeds still drastically lagged those of wired LANs. Second, proprietary, nonstandard solutions dominated the marketplace, providing little interoperability among devices, or the peace of mind for users that comes from having multiple vendor options. Third, these low-speed proprietary solutions were very expensive compared to wired solutions.
In recent years, the situation has changed dramatically. In 1999, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) ratified the 802.11b standard, offering data rates up to 11 megabits per second (Mbps)—similar to the 10 Mbps connections that are common for many Ethernet-based workgroups. For the first time, wireless LANs became truly usable for most work environments and office applications. Multiple vendors quickly came to support the 802.11b standard—this rapidly drove down costs, leading to increased demand and even greater vendor support. In addition, the 802.11b standard assured users of device interoperability. The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), a nonprofit international association, was formed to certify interoperability of wireless LAN products based on the IEEE 802.11b specification and to promote the use of the standard across all market segments. With the rapid adoption of the 802.11b standard, users began to have a choice of a wide variety of interoperable, low-cost, high-performance wireless equipment.
Perhaps most importantly, many types of organizations today see tremendous value by adding wireless onto the corporate LAN. For years, laptop and notebook computers have promised anytime, anywhere computing. But, with access to the LAN and the Internet becoming such an integral part of business, a wireless connection is needed to make true the promise of anytime, anywhere computing. Wireless devices enable users to be constantly connected from virtually anywhere: a desk, a conference room, the coffee shop, or another building on a corporate or academic campus. This ability provides users with maximum flexibility, productivity, and efficiency, while dramatically boosting collaboration and cooperation with colleagues, business partners, and customers. In addition, wireless can bring LAN access to locations where laying cable is difficult or expensive.

Wireless Migration Options

As with any technology, wireless is continually evolving- offering advancements in speed, bandwidth, security, and more. The growth of wireless has recently led to a critical juncture in the advancement of the technology.
The 802.11b standard, the most widely deployed wireless standard, operates in the 2.4 GHz unlicensed radio band, delivering a maximum data rate of 11 Mbps. For some organizations, this performance is sufficient for their current needs. But others are clamoring for a new generation of devices that will deliver even greater throughput, access, and functionality for their rapidly growing numbers of wireless users.

Wireless vendors are responding. Currently, IEEE task groups are focusing on two higher-performance standards- 802.11a and 802.11g. In their migration to higher-performance wireless technology, it is important for customers to learn about the benefits and limitations of each wireless standard, and then decide which technology or technologies are best suited to their specific wireless network requirements.

Enronism - Applied Political Economics

« Feudalism: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.
« Fascism: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them and sells you the milk.
« Communism: You have two cows. You must take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.
« Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. You breed the bull and cow, your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.
« Enronism: You have two cows. You borrow 80% of the forward value of the two cows from your bank, then buy another cow with 5% down and the rest financed by the seller on a note callable if your mar ket cap goes below $20B at a rate 2 times prime. You now sell three cows to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at a 2nd bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights of six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island company owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to seven cows back to your listed company. Your annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more, and this transaction process is upheld by your independent auditor (no Balance Sheet provided) with a press release that announces that you are now a major force in cows and will begin trading cows via the internet site www.cow.com

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