What is Managed Wi-Fi and why do you need it?

The days of spotty connectivity and Internet cables are far behind us; these days’ people expect instant connectivity – everywhere and all the time. And when it comes to a business setting, quick and easily accessible Wi-Fi connectivity is not just about ease of business, it has tangible benefits such as enhanced productivity, efficiency and teamwork.

In the past decade, the business WLAN scenario has changed completely; from managing a few access points (AP) to provide wireless hotspots for a small number of employees, office Wi-Fi is now expected to provide complete enterprise-wide coverage to hundreds and thousands of users.

Managed WLAN defined

To manage this new scale of wireless connectivity demand and to ensure that scores of employees, guests and users are provided instant and secure connectivity, enterprises need to rope in professional service providers to manage their Wireless LAN.

Cloud based Wi-Fi services is the way forward; the entire WLAN ecosystem is managed remotely by the service provider ensuring a secure, scalable and stress free Wi-Fi network.

A managed WLAN solution is more than just managing user access, it can comprise the entire lifecycle of WLAN – from designing, engineering and installing the wireless systems to managing the entire network. Cloud managed Wi-Fi uses a flexible subscription based payment model to deliver centralized management for authentication of users and network monitoring.

Why do businesses NEED to consider Managed WLAN services?

The massive upsurge in the use of smart mobile devices (currently there are over 2 billion smartphones worldwide) and the rise of BYOD (bring your own device) culture has resulted in a corresponding increase in the demand for connectivity. Wi-Fi Networks are now required to provide safe and fast connectivity to a growing number of diverse devices.

Add to this, the huge growth in Internet usage with social media and other web-based applications. Employees require more than just email access and expect high speed connectivity to be present always and on any device.

Gone are the days of providing a few wireless hot spots in the office, WLAN now needs to manage thousands of users, using a variety of devices, and deliver enterprise grade Internet connectivity to a multitude of business sites. The magnitude of Wi-Fi management is enough to tie up valuable in-house IT personnel daily. Outsourcing to a managed WLAN service provider removes the burden of the day-to-day WLAN operations and frees up the core IT team to concentrate on other business critical issues.

Whether you have a small office or a large enterprise spread over multiple locations, connectivity is critical for running a competitive business. A well-managed wireless ecosystem allows employees the freedom to move away from their desktops and to be flexible with their work environment; this, in turn, creates and fosters a more productive work culture.

For more than a decade, Sify has been successfully building and managing complex networks ecosystems across the globe. From commissioning the world’s largest MPLS network to leveraging cloud platforms for enhancing connectivity – Sify has the deep domain knowledge across the entire length and breadth of the network landscape. This experience gives us an in-depth understanding of what enterprises require from their networks and how they use them.