Enterprise 802.11n Wi-Fi poised for take-off

Enterprise 802.11n Wi-Fi poised for take-off


'Dramatic upswing' in sales of kit based on draft specification

The launch of enterprise Wi-Fi products conforming to the draft 802.11n standard from companies including Cisco Systems, Trapeze Networks and Meru Networks are a sign that the market is "poised for take-off", research reports.

New market data from ABI Research suggests that promised speeds of up to 700Mbps offered by Draft N and, after standard ratification, IEEE 802.11n Wi-Fi technology makes it very attractive for enterprises.

"The Draft N/MIMO consumer Wi-Fi access point market saw a dramatic upswing in the second quarter of 2007, nearly doubling in unit volume from the first quarter to approximately one million units," said ABI Research analyst Paulhwa Lee.

"Draft N traction in the consumer Wi-Fi market is clearly strong and there are now indications that the enterprise Wi-Fi market is poised for Draft N adoption as well."