10 Years Of Wi-Fi: Lessons Learned: Page 3 of 3

9. There is no killer app for Wi-Fi. Since the early days of Wi-Fi, vendors have searched for the killer app that would cost-justify WLAN implementations. But wireless VoIP and location-based services, two of the more prominent killer apps advanced by vendors, have realized modest uptake. Instead, it is the freedom afforded to laptop computer users that has primed the pump for widespread WLAN adoption. With this need driving infrastructure rollouts, a gradual approach that provides wireless access where needed is a rational transition towards some future day when IP-based voice and location-based applications are mainstream.

10. Wi-Fi ROI models don't deliver simple answers. IT professionals feeling the pinch of stagnant or shrinking budgets have to make tough choices about which systems to deploy. Modeling return on investment is a classic approach to informing IT management decision-making. However, ROI models for enterprise WLAN deployment have never been reliable. Assumptions of increased productivity based on one's ability to stay connected to the network ignore many key dynamics that contribute to organizational effectiveness. Yes, having wireless access during a meeting may enhance your ability to process e-mail, but the adverse impact on group dynamics, especially in meetings where interaction is paramount, is easily recognized by nearly everyone involved.