Cloud enables proactive IT with fast and scalable network services - wifi as a service

Ever since the cloud began to take shape in the mid-1990s, businesses have been reaping the benefits it offers. In the beginning it was mostly a channel for communication, but over time its functionality has grown bigger and stronger. Today, cloud computing is business-critical for many companies and a place for innovation and business development.

3 clear benefits in the cloud

Business investment in cloud computing is increasing year on year and those moving all or part of their IT to the cloud generally see three major benefits:

1. Old legacy systems that are on their last legs are replaced by modern and scalable platforms.

2. Modern cloud systems are often a better alternative to on-prem solutions that cost time and resources to run.

3. Cloud-based systems often have better security and higher capacity than server-based solutions.

There is no doubt that the cloud is the future. Cloud-based services and resources have become an engine of growth for many businesses. The cloud offers flexibility and a faster time to market than traditional IT solutions typically do, which is a major advantage for virtually any business, regardless of sector.

When businesses need more capacity, the cloud allows them to simply scale as needed. This could be peaks during the year or business developments that strain the network, especially the Wi-Fi network, which can be easily managed in the cloud.

Can everything become a cloud service?

We are used to seeing different types of services such as storage, backup and collaboration in the cloud (SaaS services). For those who are a little more familiar, the cloud is full of advanced services ranging from Platform as a Service (PaaS) to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). SaaS, PaaS and IaaS are blended into a hybrid solution that can also connect to data centre and basement servers. But what about the wifi network?

There are the same benefits to seeing Wi-Fi as a service, rather than a collection of cables and access points to be sized, installed and operated by your own IT department - simplicity, cost-effectiveness and flexibility.

Can wifi be a service?

A major benefit of the cloud is that in many ways it has made it easier to buy services and choose suppliers. Buy the services and capacity you need and then let the services grow with your needs. Can wireless networking be purchased in the same way without having to do capacity demand calculations, future resource forecasts or other tedious and difficult calculations? Don't think of wireless as a hardware investment, think of it as a service. Let the provider take care of all the complicated and time-consuming work that doesn't add value to your business.

What you need to do is find a cloud provider that sees the opportunities in the cloud for you, your business and your partnership. A provider that can meet your needs and help drive your IT transformation to the cloud.

New technology increases the need for wifi

With the cloud and technological developments comes a range of innovations that will open up new product and business opportunities for your company. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning create great opportunities for product development. AI and analytics systems become powerful using data from the Internet of Things (IoT), but this places high demands on the network, which a legacy network may not be able to meet. The number of devices using wireless networks is only increasing and new ways of working are increasing the need for wifi. Modern technologies need agile and capacity-adaptive wireless networks with features that can keep up with the pace of business innovation. Don't let wifi become a bottleneck.

Look for cloud services that make you competitive

Buying wifi as a service is as easy as buying any other IT service. Look for a provider with services that are easy to implement in your business and that match your needs with a focus on business strategy and long-term goals. Some points to consider are:

• How can cloud services simplify your workday and save you time? Can the service scale quickly to meet company and user needs for increased capacity or changing business requirements?
• What features and intelligence can be built into the wireless network? For example, is there automatic management of everyday tasks such as moving users between access points to optimise connectivity?
• Is the security of your wireless network sufficient to protect your users, apps and infrastructure? Is there strong, multi-dimensional security with two-factor authentication and user-based management policies and intrusion detection that doesn't cost performance or usability?

Is your wifi up-to-date or do you need an upgrade? Contact our network experts to get answers to your networking questions.