Wireless While You Work

This month's cover story by Vince Vittore examines the promises, challenges and economics of in-building wireless technology. It's an important topic that's top of mind for wireless carriers that want to improve the quality of service within buildings and corporate campuses, as well as for technology developers that build network equipment specifically designed to address in-building concerns.

In-building wireless coverage is also a critical step in the extension of wireless voice and data from services oriented toward mass-market audiences into the highly coveted — and difficult to penetrate — enterprise market.

As last month's Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association's Wireless 2003 show demonstrated, progress in wireless network technology evolution has reached the point that carriers are confident enough to begin rolling out next gen data services squarely focused on the enterprise sector — as the 1X EV-DO network launch by Verizon Wireless in Washington, D.C., and San Diego is. But while technology performance is critical, carriers such as Verizon Wireless must also grapple with and dispel many preconceived notions of corporate-level decision makers as they attempt to make the enterprise sale.

Consider, for example, the chief information officer or IT manager of a Fortune 500 company who has lost countless wireless voice connections while walking from one office to another, moving across the corporate campus or stepping into an elevator. It will be an immense challenge for wireless carriers to convince that kind of person — the same person who makes or approves IT spending decisions for the entire enterprise — that a mobile data offering like 1X EV-DO is a safe, economical and reliable technology bet to make.

Improving in-building coverage in the buildings occupied by the target enterprise customer base obviously is one important part of that effort. The next is education of those potential customers, which companies like Verizon Wireless and their technology developer partners already have started to address. Through seminars, marketing campaigns and the tried and true face-to-face sit-down method, wireless carriers are explaining to CIOs how they can more effectively equip their mobile work forces, reduce reliance on technology formats like DSL and cable for remote workers, and shrink their overall long-term IT costs companywide.

If they are successful in their mobile data educational efforts, the trickle-down effect for carriers may just be an IT audience that is more confident about wireless overall and more willing to sign contracts to equip their whole work force with handsets from the provider giving them data service. Who knows? The seemingly age-old — but still relatively unproven — concepts of service bundling and customer retention may be realized yet.