For cellular networking, you'll be better off with devices that have integrated capabilities as opposed to wireless modems. This limits your choices, but the integrated devices are much more power-efficient and offer important features, such as the ability to receive data even when in standby mode.
Another consideration: Who decides which devices to purchase? Users are likely to have strong opinions about the phones or PDAs they use. Some may be attached to the user interface of a particular PDA or the looks of a smartphone. In our poll, 38 percent of readers indicated that device choice was solely a company decision, while 48 percent said it was mostly a company decision with some user leeway. We see this as the case for PDAs, but we expect that as smartphones are adopted for data applications, users will have greater say about the device, facilitated by the expanding family of devices available for each platform.
And don't forget about the actual applications of interest, which may be supported only on specific platforms, and sometimes only on some devices used by that platform.
Last but certainly not least, there are considerable security considerations. For instance, most of the platforms support VPNs, but are these compatible with the VPNs you're using? Larger enterprises will also need to institute a management system for software updates and asset tracking.
Bottom Line
Pending 6GHz spectrum availability, faster speeds, and private wireless access use drive FWA forward.
The new HPE Aruba 730 series Wi-Fi 7 access points tout high performance, enhanced security, location tracking capabilities, and more.
Verizon is demoing crowd analytics technology that uses 5G along with AI and mobile edge computing to give stadium operators insights into the flow of fans throughout a venue.
