Белая книга для Cisco Cisco 4402 Wireless LAN Controller
Cisco and Intel—Five Myths of Wireless Networks
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desktop CAGR for the same period is expected to grow by only 3 percent. To respond to this market transition, IT must be proactive or risk
losing to more tech-savvy competitors.
The preference for mobility within the enterprise can be seen by IT departments from both top down (upper management) and bottom up
(department users). Upper management wants to improve their company’s competitive edge through faster decision-making, better access to
information, and improved accuracy for employees. Users want to work more effectively from any location, whether they are at their desks, at
any place within the enterprise environment, at home, or on the road.
The drive for mobility in the enterprise, coupled with dramatic improvements in wireless networking technology, is reshaping the work habits
and productivity of workers. IT departments are being asked to embrace the mobile wireless usage model to respond to the demands of both
management and users.
The benefits of wireless networking go beyond simply providing data transfer to mobile devices. Productivity has long been singled out by
wireless advocates as being the primary reason for adopting wireless technology. Several studies quantify productivity gains from wireless
networks. For example, a study completed in 2003 by NOP World Technology showed the average time saved per day as a result of wireless
connectivity was 1.3 hours. An internal study conducted by the Cisco IT department, indicated that 95 percent of employees gained at least one
hour per week of additional productive time.
As the pervasiveness of wireless networking within the enterprise increases, so do the benefits. In addition to productivity gains, enterprises
can take advantage of a variety of new mobility services—such as location, voice, guest access, and enhanced security—that allow businesses
to reap additional benefits from the network by adding a mobility element to existing (and new) business applications.
Thanks to the availability of these services, businesses can calculate a tangible return on investment (ROI) for each wireless application
enabled by the network. For example, a business may implement an asset tracking application based on active Wi-Fi asset tags to decrease
the cost and time associated with looking for and replacing high-value assets. Or a business deploying an in-building voice over wireless LAN
service can decrease its dependency and the costs of cellular voice services for calls originating from the enterprise.
Cisco and Intel Alliance
The strong Cisco Systems and Intel partnership focuses on improving the business impact of technology. The Cisco Intel Alliance
(www.ciscointelalliance.com) is the vehicle for both companies to collaborate in specific technology areas for the benefit of their mutual
customers. The alliance provides:
• Tangible business value for technology adoption
• Business-class wireless networking solutions that seamlessly combine
• Business-class wireless networking solutions that seamlessly combine
Intel
®
Centrino
®
mobile technology clients with the Cisco Unified Wireless Network
• Lower complexity of deployment and total cost of ownership (TCO) for businesses implementing
and managing a pervasive wireless network
Myth #2: Wireless networks are not secure
Inadequate security has consistently been one of the biggest concerns IT departments raise about wireless networking. Wireless security has
made great advances over the past few years thanks to the efforts of the IEEE and the Wi-Fi Alliance. New security standards like IEEE 802.11i
and the Wi-Fi Alliance Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) have emerged to match the robust protection previously found on wired networks.
Cisco and Intel continue to take the lead in these security standards bodies to focus on delivering a wireless solution that is as secure as the
wired network, as well as to provide products designed to protect the enterprise against wireless security threats. Cisco delivered the Cisco
Compatible Extensions program, of which Intel is a lead collaborator. Cisco Compatible Extensions incorporates the latest security standards
and innovative security solutions, including authentication protocols like Extensible Authentication Protocol-Flexible Authentication via Secure
Tunneling (EAP-FAST).
The end result has been to dramatically improve the ability of the network to automatically identify, prevent, and adapt to security threats. Every
device in the network—from clients to access points to wireless controllers and the management system—plays a part in securing the wireless
network environment through a distributed defense.
7/25/06