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Increasing the level of mobile working within the office has become all the more important with the evolution of technology, with IT departments having to up their game in order to keep up with trends such as flexible working and bring your own device (BYOD).
While there will always be a place for the traditional office set-up, there is no question that the way in which many people work has changed dramatically, with more workers preferring to ditch the wires for a more seamless, flexible and, crucially, mobile approach.
Infrastructure just as important as software
Given the headlines about countless data breaches afflicting the systems of various companies, it would be easy to think that software and security was the only important aspect of creating a successful digital system.
But the fact remains that without the right infrastructure, it is almost impossible to create an office suited to mobile working. Catering for the needs of wireless connectivity is vital as workers are increasingly expecting a seamless transition between working on the move and in the office. The wrong set-up can therefore create problems and delays, which in turn can lead to losses in efficiency and a company's bottom line.
Plan your space
Identifying the need to update your system should always be the first step in a careful and thorough planning process.
When approaching the plans of your new or renovated office, it is always important to think about the future, as well as the present.
It means you not only need to think about building angles, materials and the placement of wireless access points, there is also a need to think about obtaining hardware that is easily updatable as it will help reduce the likelihood of dealing with the considerable costs associated with any mass upheaval of your infrastructure later down the line.
Think about the behaviour of your workforce when they are in the office. What are their working habits? When and where do they find themselves going online? What's more, what do they do when they get online?
All of these questions will make it easier to decide about the optimal locations for wireless access points, while also helping to decipher how much power you need in order to deal with the traffic going through your system.
One possible route for future-proofing is by way of cabling categorisation. Cat5e is widely considered to be adequate for the needs of most businesses, but many companies are now choosing to opt for a higher category in the hope that it will give their cabling infrastructure more firepower.
However, this is something of a fallacy as although higher category cables are capable of higher speeds, they are still only ever as fast as the switches and components connected to them. But this method of future-proofing remains popular, mainly due to the fact that updating components within your system requires far less effort and is less costly than doing the same to your cabling.
It is worth remembering that higher categories of cabling usually command a higher price, so always ensure that such an upgrade is right for your business.
At Comtec, we have a wide range of cabling solutions that are suited to the needs of businesses of all sizes, along with expert advice that will help you to make an informed decision.
