LONDON-The viability of wireless local area network (WLAN) technology is growing more questionable as its speed continues to lag behind that of wireline LANs, according to one Frost & Sullivan research analyst.
“The disk drive is a simple technology that does what it was designed to do,” said analyst Wai Sing Lee. “Wireless LAN technology has to achieve that same fundamental efficiency and ease-of-use while quickly earning mainstream acceptance in order to establish itself.” While admitting the mobility and convenience of a wireless network are most attractive, Lee cautioned that end-users might choose faster technologies instead of switching over to wireless LAN technology.
Currently, manufacturers including IBM and Apple Computer Inc. are using WLAN technology in their notebook systems and developing WLAN products, and are making the technology more affordable and simpler to install and maintain. “It’s only a matter of time before participants’ survival (in the WLAN market) depends not only on providing a hardware but also an overall networking system encompassing all areas, including hardware, software, manageability and security,” Lee added.
