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Cisco's free user magazine 'Packet' is running an interesting article on the Intel campus in Portland, Oregon (Jones Farm Campus - 6,000 employees).

They have deployed an 802.11a WLAN as the primary access method, ultimately aiming for some 75% of staff to be using the WLAN as the primary access method to the network. Backup access and legacy device support is provided by a secondary B/G network.

Deployment is using Cisco's WLAN controllers and thin access points with LWAPP for roaming, and 802.11i for security. Voice is slated to be added in 2006 and will be supported by WMM based QoS, and later even dual band WLAN/GSM phones.


What a great place to work, Im quite jealous!

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac123/ac114/ac173/Q1-06/p_43.html

Subscription spoiler -- This link takes you to the digital edition. You will need to subscribe to Packet to access the full article.

For me the important point made in the article is that the WLAN works for their users because:

1) Majority of users are higlhy mobile.
2) Users run applications suited to WLAN.

I think this second point can easily be overlooked. Also - I think - their user population (which includes the centrino team) maybe more sympathetic/understanding of any WLAN teething problems and accept them, whereas other less tech based user populations may behave differently.

Does anyone know of any other organisations having the conviction to go wireless for primary access method, where wired existed before?

</end rant>


Des.