Since 802.11b was approved in 1999, the Wi-Fi revolution as we know it today was launched.
It is now 2019 and we can celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Wi-Fi and the two decades of business value that this technology has brought to the table.
During the early days of Wi-Fi both from the client side and the enterprise, things were fairly simplistic. However as the number of mobile devices increased; the different quality of service requirements (example voice over IP), combined with the unique security and roaming requirements, things became complex.
Manufactures of client devices tended to select Wi-Fi adapters based upon manufactures specifications.
Testing was mostly limited to in-house testing with limited validation and verification of the manufactures specifications.
This in-house testing did not mirror or replicate the actual field in a traditional deployment, i.e. a hospital ecosystem of data, voice, video, and life critical applications. Often time’s Wi-Fi mobility deployments resulted in dropped network connections for data or voice communications. The result was lack of confidence in the clinical use model and many times a total product redesign.
Most recently there is a heightened sense of concern to ensure that wireless medical devices operate correctly with the adherence to current and on-going security standards in the IEEE 802.11 space.
Medical device companies as well as any other manufacture will need to test, validate, and verify the performance characteristics of their Wi-Fi enabled device in the enterprise space. That is the space we live in 2019. This also is considered best of practice for risk management coupled with meeting the desired requirement by regulatory agencies.
There should be a requirement to test and validate against all requirements such as fast roaming, network assisted handoffs, band steering/load balancing and all current and future ongoing changes with the IEEE 802.11 standard.
The increasing complexity of the technology coupled with the proliferation and diversification of the use cases is creating the need for testing to be more affordable, automated and offered as a service.
To date, test Wi-Fiequipment has been a bottom line cost item and a major user complex. Companies have had a difficult time to justify the ROI for acquisition of the equipment, let alone the staffing. Also, there is not a current business model for testing services that is pervasive through all vertical markets.
Integra Systems is looking at Candela Technologies, Inc. www.candelatech.com as a technology source to provide Wi-Fi testing services based upon our proven experience in this space.
Companies can also purchase their testing equipment if it is decided to bring this testing in-house. Their test gear is very cost affordable, plus it covers the needs for comprehensive testing in today’s fast changing Wi-Fi landscape.
