The Internet of Everything (IoE) is here to stay, and experts are toting 2015 as the year it truly begins to make its presence felt. But what does IoE really mean? Essentially, the nature of devices or things able to connect to the internet is changing. Whether it’s your fridge or your phone, your watch or your favourite golf club, everything you own is heading down a path towards Internet connectivity.
In fact, Cisco estimates that by 2020 as many as 50 billion “things” could be connected to the internet, and perhaps 25 billion of them by the end of this year. For businesses, this means continued growth in the volume of devices already connecting to wireless networks thanks to BYOD policies, combined with a shift towards more wearable tech, such as watches and glasses. But what other implications does IoE have for guest wireless networks?
How IoE Impacts Your Wireless Network
1. The Need to Embrace SDN
Software-driven networking (SDN) makes sense in so many ways when considering a wireless network flooded by devices and inundated by users. Whether it’s through the offering of a centralised view of the network for ease of management, centralised security measures, breathing new life in existing hardware devices or facilitating better unified cloud computing, SDN’s offer clients a network advantage in the face of the IoE trend.
2. Bigger Bandwidth is a Necessity
Ask yourself how your network is handling its current usage – is it just handling below capacity? Have you planned for a guest wireless network that can grow with the increased demands directed at it? Reasons for enlarging network bandwidth may include an influx of new users or devices, or perhaps more data usage. Recent statistics indicate that video is fast becoming the content nature of choice for many internet users, with predictions that future internet traffic could consist of up to 80 percent video. In the face of large volumes of data streaming, could your current network cope?
3. Analytics Becomes Crucial
The sheer volume of data accompanying the move to IoE has been dubbed “Big Data”, and with good cause. It’s estimated that around 99 percent of data collected is never analysed, and loses value and leveragability as a result. New and improved analytics tools are vital in order to sort and make sense of this deluge of data, turning it in intelligence that can be used to your company’s best advantage. Analytics can also provide valuable insight into your guest wireless network and its usage, so having investing in analytical tools is vital.
4. Preparing Adequate Security is Key
If concerns are already running high as BYOD adoption continues to grow, imagine the additional worries as more devices begin connecting to your network. Make sure your guest wireless network is adequately prepared in the face of the security threats accompanying IoE, whether through utilising NAC, developing better user management techniques, creating acceptable use policies or through next-gen firewalls. Make sure your endpoint management strategies are sound, and stay ahead of the curve by reading regular security reports on emerging threats, such as Cisco’s Annual Security Report.
5. The Cloud is Here to Stay
Cloud computing facilitates the IoE in a unique and indispensable way, allowing for the extension of data centres to the cloud, and constant access to applications and data from anywhere and at any time. Cloud computing also offers the benefits of improved cost-efficacy and increased storage, and is key to the management of the volumes of data accompanying the IoE.
IoE is an inevitability, and naturally it’s better to be prepared than to be caught unawares. By taking the implications of IoE into account, you can prepare your guest wireless network to take full advantage of the perks of IoE, instead of being swamped by it.
