Understanding wireless and mobility

Free your business from the rigidity of wired cables. Give employees the flexibility to work from anywhere - at home, in the field, or even at their favourite coffee shop - with mobile mail, mobile messaging and mobile sales force automation. These improve productivity, responsiveness and collaboration throughout your business.

HP's complete suite of mobility solutions includes non-stop connectivity, integrated mobility and voice and data convergence to give your employees greater convenience. Also receive expert support to respond faster to the changing business landscape. And HP solutions offer built-in security with proven reliability to minimise your technical and financial risks. HP wireless and mobility solutions allow you to:

• Offer secure e-mail access to mobile workers 
• Wirelessly enable your mobile sales force 
• Secure your mobile devices and data 
• Get expert help to plan and set up your company's wireless LAN
• Address specific needs in the real estate, accounting, legal, and health care industries

You don't have to be a technology wizard to benefit from wireless technologies. However, you can make better decisions with a basic understanding of the technologies available. Wireless devices operate in three different network environments:

• Wireless LANs (Local Area Networks): Instead of using cables to connect desktops and servers to an office network, wireless LANs connect devices via wireless access points. Employees with notebooks or PDAs fitted with wireless cards can access network resources by receiving signals from wireless access points. They can then move from room to room without losing their connectivity. A wireless LAN enables communication of up to several hundred feet away from the access point.
  
  
• Wireless WANs (Wide Area Networks): In a wireless WAN, you can connect wirelessly to a carrier's voice or data network via base stations instead of plugging your notebook into a fixed line connection. Field personnel can check prices or inventory at a customer site by using a wireless WAN to query a database back at the office. Base stations can provide coverage across entire states, regions or even countries.
  
  
• Wireless PANs (Personal Area Networks): The PAN replaces the wires that normally connect personal equipment. For example, a PAN may connect a desktop to a nearby printer, digital camera, scanner, keyboard, mouse, and PDA. Typically, devices must be within 33 feet of each other for effective communication.

These technologies have significantly stabilised and vendors of hardware and applications/software have robust offerings. Data is now more secure during a wireless transmission or when devices are lost.

Computers, handhelds, printers and other wireless devices have to share a common protocol to communicate effectively. Each type of wireless network has its own protocol and standard:

• PAN protocols
  • Bluetooth™ or IEEE 802.15 standard is ideally suited for connecting up to eight devices within a single room. Bluetooth™ operates in a radio frequency band that does not require a license.  As such to minimize interference, Bluetooth™ devices transmit only briefly on a given radio channel and then moves (hops) to another channel.
    
    
  • IR (Infrared) communication allows you to connect two devices by simply lining up their built-in IR ports to beam (or receive) data.
    
    
• LAN protocols
  • Wi-Fi or IEEE 802.11 is a secure set of standards for device-to-device data communication in a wireless LAN. Computers in the wireless LAN communicate by sending radio signals to an access point, which relays data between wireless devices and the wired network. Today, most wireless LAN products support Wi-Fi. Newer variation of the standard 802.11a and 802.11g are also gaining popularity with faster throughput speeds of 54 Mbps.
    
• WAN protocols
  • CDMA2000 is part of a second generation (2G) network originally designed to carry voice but was upgraded to transport some data traffic. It can support brief e-mails but is too slow for large file transfers.
    
    
  • GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is an advanced wireless data network that is faster than a 2G network but slower than a true third-generation network. It is often referred to as a 2.5G network. Similar to a GSM network, a typical 2.5G network can transfer data at 40 to 70 Kbps. This is suitable for conducting business activities such as checking e-mail.
    
    
  • EDGE is an upgrade of the GPRS network that offers 3G data services. These networks offer the promise of megabit speeds in the future to deliver wireless multimedia content.

Myth 1: "Wireless LANs are not secure."
This is the most common myth. In reality, technologies and software exist to make a wireless network as secure as any fixed network. HP offers the latest in wireless security to implement a secure wireless network out of the box without hiring an IT specialist. HP products support integrated data encryption as well as user and device authentication systems to safeguard data. If you need additional assistance with specific security needs, contact an HP mobile and wireless expert.

Myth 2: "Losing my notebook or handheld while on the road will cause my company's confidential information to be exposed."
HP ProtectTools easily protects and encrypts data on your notebook or handheld. Data is not compromised if your notebook or handheld is lost or stolen. HP is also working with best-in-class partners to provide solutions that extend security management to all your company's mobile devices.

Myth 3: "Wireless mobility is only for road warriors."
Your onsite staff members can benefit from wireless too. By combining wireless connectivity with notebooks, tablets, handhelds, projectors, and even printers, all of your employees can continue to be productive when they are away from their desk – which is quite often.

Myth 4: "Wireless networks are expensive."
The cost of running wires throughout a building is one of the most expensive elements of setting up as well as maintaining a fixed network. HP wireless solutions can cost up to 30% less than an equivalent wired network. While the total cost of adding on a wireless network to your existing infrastructure can be as little as a few hundred dollars.

For larger installations, HP Financial Services offer a complete range of leasing and financial products to help you easily and cost-effectively acquire and manage a solution through its life cycle.

Myth 5: "I have to replace my entire wired network with wireless equipment to use wireless technology."
You can easily extend a wired network by adding wireless capabilities. Simply connect an HP wireless access point to your network and add wireless cards to your mobile devices. To expand simply add another card or a wireless access point. Installation is simple and the technology is inexpensive.

Myth 6: "Accessing wireless e-mail with attachments, calendar, and contacts is expensive."
HP works diligently to ensure businesses of any size can affordably take advantage of the latest in wireless and mobile technologies to gain key business information. Our preferred partners offer specific capabilities that enable secure e-mail access for your business.