"Future revisions of the 802.11n standard have the promise of supporting even higher speeds," Khurana says. "It should be noted that the actual data throughput maximums are more in the 400Mbps range."

Developing network innovations is a painstaking process, but it doesn't have to take eons. New developments in electrical and networking technology are overseen by the worldwide Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE), a non-profit standards-setting organization. The new breed of Wi-Fi, 802.11n, is the most advanced subset of the 802.11 network family, which has been out for a number of years, but it wasn't until 2003 that certain IEEE projects delved into the new standard.


Companies like Aruba Networks offer a line of products and services that take advantage of 802.11n's capabilities. This gives them an edge in penetrating relatively untapped markets like the health care industry. As of this year's first quarter, Aruba Networks held 25 percent of the 802.11n network market share, which makes Aruba Networks a strong competitor of wireless giant Cisco Systems.

Hospitals cut costs by cutting wires

The Wi-Fi industry is one of those lucky industries continuing to fare well through the recession. The economic pinch has actually increased Aruba Network's business, because as hospitals scramble to find new ways to save money, they are also realizing that they can improve their bottom line by making the move to wireless.

"Aruba is seeing an interesting opportunity due to the tough economic climate," says Khurana. "Organizations are more cost-conscious than ever and are looking for technologies that reduce costs. Wireless networking has always had a clear cost-advantage over traditional fixed Ethernet port-based networking."

There can be an up to 10-fold difference in cost between wired and wireless networks, says Khurana. This is due to the consolidation of access points for wireless users. Multiple users can use one wireless LAN access point -- 10 can share one access point in an office and 25 to 50 can utilize the same point in a hospital. In an Ethernet network, each of those users are wired, which in itself may not be costly, but when you account for access point maintenance, wire replacement, and added, moved or changed user points, Ethernet network parts and service costs add up. Still, going wireless is not usually an all or nothing solution for most hospitals.

"We find most organizations do not make an overnight shift from all wired to all wireless. Organizations looking to take advantage of the cost benefits of wireless networking end-up 'rightsizing' their network," comments Khurana. In this case, desktop users may stay wired, and PDA users can tap into wireless LAN access points.

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