Enterprise mobility to cut network costs in half

Growing enterprise use of wireless technologies will cut the cost of networks in half over the next five years, Dimension Data predicts.

The ICT service provider’s latest Network Barometer report suggests that the rise of enterprise mobility and BYOD will push down network rollout and operational costs.

While most campus networks use a roughly 80:20 mixture of fixed and wireless technologies, the enterprise mobility trend is expected to turn this ratio on its head. Future networks will eventually use 80% wireless technologies, the report suggests.

“When comparing a traditional wired network deployment supporting 100 users to a wireless network of the same size, the reduction in physical hardware ... makes the wireless network up to 50% less expensive,” Dimension Data Director of Solutions Neil Campbell said.

“In addition to the capital savings, the operation and management of this user environment is also reduced.” Wireless networks are cheaper to build, require less power and cooling, and are easier to manage, the report notes.

The research is based on an assessment of the technology life cycle management of around 1200 companies from various regions and industries.

Campbell said the assessment suggests that organisations aren’t adapting their networks to support BYOD and enterprise mobility as aggressively as initially expected. But he predicted that this will soon change.

“The pressure to provide a more flexible, wireless environment conducive to enterprise mobility and BYOD will only grow stronger in the future,” he said.