The Wireless Enterprise Phase 2 well underway
Networks supports this opinion, itself to give best performance, and be structure the network from the core
“Wireless in its first phase was not centrally managed.” to handle real time information and
driven by the MIS department. It spread This evolution of phase 2 to a wireless manage security.”
in spite of all the security and coverage infrastructure that can support business This fully centralised approach is
issues because users wanted it.” grade, mission critical applications is challenged by Simon Wilson of Nortel,
“Phase 2 is now all about serious creating real disagreement amongst “The problem with a centralised
deployments, however there is a vendors as to the best way to deliver all intelligence approach is that in larger
shortage of wireless specialists in the necessary performance. networks or ones where companies
the channel because the commodity In fact, even though they are all are using lots of different applications
approach of phase 1 drove many of using standards based topologies, all requiring different levels of security,
them out of the technology. Despite customers are in danger of being driven QoS and criticality then the central
this our wireless business is booming down proprietary avenues if they want switch can become the bottleneck.”
and at the higher level products we are to move now. “In the same way it is impossible to
seeing 100% growth rates.” What is at the heart of this put all the intelligence in the AP as a
“This lack of expertise in the argument are two key issues, where fully distributed architecture would be
channel will be a serious issue in the the intelligence to deliver the QoS, impossible to control and manage. The
future as every channel company will reliability and security needs to sit and sensible approach is to offload some
be involved in delivering solutions over how to best use the available wireless of the functionality to the AP such
wireless. They will need to grasp the spectrum to give best coverage. that you can do intelligent routing of
issues especially if they work in vertical The first issue at first glance seems to different types of traffic from the edge
markets where wireless offers so many be almost a religious argument, to have rather than everything coming back to
major business process advantages.” the intelligence in the Access Point, a central switch controller and then
It seems to be this application led on a wireless switch or on a wireless back out again.”
wireless phenomenon that is driving phase controller in the network. “This kind of shared intelligence is
2 at present and will lead to phase 3. But making the decision which vital as companies start to use VoWiFi
Pierre Trudeau, founder and CEO route to take could lock the user to and location based services. At Nortel
of Colubris Networks explains the a particular vendor so it is important we have best practice guidelines to
challenge and opportunity from an to understand what the differences help partners design wireless solutions
applications led wireless market, are in approach and whether it for all types of environments.”
“The wireless infrastructure within an is feasible to have a multi vendor Colubris endorse this approach but
enterprise is evolving rapidly to support open standards based approach to a extend it to a further level as Pierre
the business applications that are now wireless infrastructure. Trudeau explains, “Colubris takes a
being deployed.” In the early part of phase two it tri-plane approach to this new phase of
“Up till now the wireless LAN was generally accepted to put the wireless deployment. We have adopted
was all about supporting office type intelligence in the Access Point or the the same style as SIP (Session Initiation
applications to wireless laptops. This is Wireless switch, either worked. But Protocol) where we don’t get in the way
changing rapidly with mission critical as companies started to put mission of the traffic.”
solutions like IP voice and IBM DB2 critical applications and voice onto “We believe there has to be
and Oracle based applications being wireless the arguments really started. intelligence in the switch and the
deployed not only to PCs but many Sarah Guy, Marketing AP to deliver the full security and
other types of devices.” Communications Manager at ZyXEL, QoS but the management should not
“These applications put massive strains explains their approach, “When get in the way. The Network Access
on today’s wireless deployments and are managing security and quality of Controller does not need to sit in the
not tolerant to poorly designed networks.” service it is important to have the switch and examine every packet, it
“What characterises the intelligence back in a central location. is there to set up the communication
requirements of these applications is No intelligence is necessary in the from source to destination and then
high performance, security and low Access Point. By bringing control let the APs and switches get on with
latency. This requires a wireless network into the network infrastructure you what they do best. The NAC can
infrastructure that can self provision can deliver seamless roaming and then take snapshots of statistics from
JUNE 2008 8020 EUROPA 49
48,49,50,51.indd 2 13/6/08 09:30:04
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