InformationWeek

To deal with such differences, vendors are offering solutions. Symbol integrates its Wireless Network Management System with major network-management systems, and some vendors publish APIs, which let third-parties add specific functionality. These, in turn, let network-management systems present an integrated map of the wired and wireless networks. Computer Associates is offering wireless support as an add-on to Unicenter TNG, and wireless management capabilities are expected on management solutions from Tivoli Systems Inc.

Management and other issues remain obstacles for companies such as enterprise resource planning software vendor PeopleSoft Inc., which is looking at wireless technologies from 3Com Corp. and other vendors. Initially, PeopleSoft plans to deploy the usual personal information management applications associated with PDAs--E-mail, calendaring, address book, and journal.

Eventually, PeopleSoft hopes to add applications such as expense reporting to save time for its mobile consultants, who spend a lot of time on the road visiting customers. "We pride ourselves on staying on the technological cutting edge, but wireless presents a lot of hurdles," says Erik Beer, workstation engineer for PeopleSoft. "We're going to be connected at some point, but it's not going to happen soon because of the management challenges and issues with data speeds and multiple standards."

Security is key for PeopleSoft as well. The company is naturally concerned about losing devices and is considering operating-system-level security protection to avoid data loss if devices get into the wrong hands. This subsystem level of security ensures that the device won't even boot unless the right password is entered. A more critical concern is transmission security, especially at the hand-off between Palm.Net, Palm's wireless network for Internet access, and PeopleSoft's intranet. Secure private tunneling is an option, but can be extremely expensive because of the potential need to install a separate application on the PDA for encryption. Connection to PeopleSoft's network either would be via a separate dedicated land line or involve servers located outside PeopleSoft's network firewalls.

Either case involves opening additional ports on PeopleSoft's internal networks, an option that network engineers generally avoid because of the increased security risk. PeopleSoft is also testing ease of configuration. The dream of ad hoc teams connected by a network won't become a reality if users have to struggle to enable linkages.

Another fundamental issue at PeopleSoft is return on investment. Arguments are made that wireless devices save mobile employees time and are an excellent retention tool, yet management still demands measurable performance before it will authorize their widespread deployment, Beer says.

It may take a while before PeopleSoft executives get the numbers they demand. According to Mobile Insights' Mathias, metrics to evaluate the success of wireless networks are still over the horizon, especially for horizontal applications, mainly because wireless networks for transmitting data are still in the pilot phase.

However, some studies indicate that the savings from wireless networking can be substantial. A cost-of-ownership report prepared by the Wireless LAN Association estimates that annual wireless-LAN investments can range from $300,000 to $4.2 million. However, the organization says the LANs will pay for themselves within 12 months, with per-user savings of $15,989 for networks with an average of 300 nodes. Wireless LANs aren't a replacement for wired systems; in most cases, wired LANs will have higher throughput, and the rule is to go wired whenever possible. However, wireless is necessary when a company needs mobility, an existing infrastructure such as in an old building doesn't permit wires, or frequent reconfiguration is required.

But as Amex's Dolce can testify, hard numbers aren't always needed to justify the benefits of wireless network management. Some 400 wireless handheld units from various manufacturers let Amex traders communicate with their offices. Communication is handled through 20 1-Mbps access points from Symbol.

Without the management system, Amex couldn't handle traffic and other issues that cause user complaints. In addition to identifying gushes of network traffic that exceed thresholds, the Symbol system can track the roaming habits of individual devices as well as overall coverage. Such tracking, as well as a configuration-management program to maintain device compliance, helps ensure that individual devices remain--in Dolce's words--"good bandwidth citizens." The system also lets Amex manage IP addresses so unapproved devices can't access the network. Says Dolce: "I don't see how we could run our wireless network without a network-management system."

To access the wireless network at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, members of the campus community can buy a 802.11b wireless networking card for their notebooks for $175 at the campus computer store. PC Cards are also available for PDAs. The campuswide network, which has been in operation since October, is a subnet of the wired network to simplify management. The wireless network, which primarily uses equipment from Lucent Technologies Inc., is accessed by about 1,000 of the 10,000 network users. Students and others can communicate almost anywhere on the 100-acre campus, facilitating multidisciplinary and other research.

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