Jupiter Research: 802.11 Networks Gaining Support

An estimated 57 percent of U.S. companies already support 802.11 networks and another 22 percent are planning to implement the technology within the next year, according to a new report from Jupiter Research.

Small businesses are leading the deployment charge, with 83 percent of those polled saying they either now support 802.11 networks or plan to in the next 12 months, notes the report. Large U.S. businesses come in fairly close behind their smaller counterparts with 71 percent deploying the technology already or planning to within the next year.

”Nearly half of all U.S. businesses have fewer than 20 percent of their employees connected,” says Julie Ask, a senior analyst with Jupiter Research. ”Small and medium-sized businesses in particular are much more likely to have their employees connected via an 802.11 network. This demonstrates that consumer and small office/home office markets have really driven deployments to date. That’s changing, though, as larger enterprises will drive growth later this year once security issues are resolved.”