The office is unlikely to be the same place again. New modes of working and more freedoms regarding the location of where work gets done is making businesses question how much real estate they need and how they make that which they retain perform better for the people that use it. If people are to no longer be tethered to desks within the office, connectivity quickly gets called into question. Reliable Wi-Fi networks will be a key ingredient to reimaging the office for years to come. But looked at and deployed differently, there’s much more value the network can give.
Wi-Fi and hybrid working – a perfect match
Despite the prevalence of Wi-Fi in our homes, and while it may be hard to believe, many organisations, especially smaller businesses, still prefer to use wired networks. This is often because the physical limitations within their office – walls, strange shaped spaces and so on, plus availability of physical ethernet data points, which limit the Wi-Fi coverage across the office environment.
However, as office spaces are reimagined, users expect to be able to move freely without the need for physical wired connections, especially in communal spaces, meeting rooms, and hot desking environments. This doesn’t just extend to your staff either, as guests arrive at your office, they too expect to be able to get online and work with ease, while also enjoying a level of access that extends beyond simple connectivity – like being able to print for example.
High quality, high performance, Wi-Fi is therefore essential. Hang ups over security versus wired networks need to be dealt with and foundations laid for more agile working.
Aruba Instant On Wi-Fi magic!
The Instant On solution from HPE Aruba, is one of the fastest ways to roll-out enterprise-grade corporate Wi-Fi. Out-of-the-box practically all of the hard work is done for you – there is little to configure or setup, so it’s perfect for small IT teams or businesses who don’t have a dedicated IT professional.
Aruba Instant On comes with some clever tricks up its sleeve to achieve Wi-Fi network coverage in areas where this wasn’t previously possible. Whereas many Wi-Fi implementations are limited by where access points can be installed, Aruba Instant On overcomes these challenges using a combination of connected devices and powerful antennas to amplify the coverage and eliminate dead zones, even in outdoor spaces.
Cloud managed access points can be installed and managed in just a few clicks from anywhere using a simple and intuitive management app, with the option to set bandwidth limits to prioritise the performance of certain types of traffic such as video calls or limit what visitors to the office can eat up.
The stand-out feature of Instant On, however, is the smart mesh Wi-Fi technology included with every device. This sees that multiple access points can work together to deliver Wi-Fi signal to every area of your office space, even where you aren’t able to install an additional access point due to the lack of a physical ethernet data port.
In-built enterprise-grade security features secure your network against cybersecurity threats, with native Two-Factor Authentication for user login to prevent unwanted access to your network.
Additionally, you can also choose from a range of Wi-Fi 6 enabled access points for a better connection, or include additional switches to support wired connections wherever these are required. The beauty of being able to blend wireless and wired networks in this way means you can quickly and easily enhance what your network can do with things like VOIP, CCTV, PoS systems and a line-up of third-party integrations like VPN and guest experience.
Speak with us to get started
To learn more about the value of office Wi-Fi, and how your organisation could implement this network architecture using HPE Aruba Instant On, simply get in touch with the team.