BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Using wireless broadband for connectivity has always been ideal for business continuity and connecting critical assets in places wires can’t go—from vehicles, to field forces, to remote kiosks. But now, even branch locations are realizing the benefits, as today’s LTE networks are more pervasive and getting faster with the deployment of Gigabit LTE and 5G. These realities are ushering in the Wireless WAN era and giving rise to wireless as a preferred broadband connectivity for branches, stores, and other fixed sites — traditionally the domain of wired networks.
The concept of an entirely primary wireless network is best demonstrated by WISE Employment, a non-profit company that chose to ditch its static wired network infrastructure, to improve performance in its branch offices, and increase agility. By deploying wireless edge routers to provide Internet and connectivity to over 160 offices across Australia, with more than 1,000 employees, WISE’s wireless plans came to fruition.
Cradlepoint, the global leader in cloud-delivered LTE and 5G wireless network edge solutions, has been leading the Wireless WAN revolution, proving software-driven 4G and 5G cellular routers are enabling companies to cut costs, improve agility and prepare for 5G. Mark Havill, CIO, WISE Employment Services overcame the challenges of installation costs for broadband at each new site, combined with unacceptable wired broadband downtime by implementing Cradlepoint’s cellular Wireless WAN solutions across all sites.
“Network issues were impacting productivity and blowing out costs, making the move to Wireless WAN essential,” says Havill. “As a result, we have reduced downtime and improved performance, discovered newfound IT agility, and are now in a better position to introduce new technologies, such as 5G.”
Cradlepoint’s wireless all-in-one routers connect a variety of in-office devices and applications while its NetCloud Service provides the cloud control and ease of deployment necessary to centrally manage and quickly expand these widespread offices.
How WISE ‘cut the cord’
As part of the transition to Wireless WAN, WISE Employment did the following:
- Replaced VDSL lines with Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Service for Branch and LTE-enabled AER2200 all-in-one routers to connect PCs, CCTV, guest Wi-Fi, networked printers and other devices.
- Replaced all employee desk phones with mobile phones that display WISE’s corporate identity to business callers but can be used for personal use.
- Replaced all employee PCs with laptops supported by SIM cards and a data plan.
- Securely connected traffic from WISE’s laptops, wireless routers, and guest Wi-Fi through a Telstra private network (APN), then through firewalls at the WISE data centre and onto the Internet.
COVID-readiness, cost-savings and more
The transition from wired to wireless connectivity reduced WISE’s per-site average monthly network cost from nearly $1,500 a month to approximately $900, including SIM cards for phones, PCs, and routers, and subscriptions to Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Service.
“When the CFO announced we had saved money by deploying Cradlepoint solutions, it marked a huge achievement. However, our move to mobile wireless has also driven down costs across the board — from phones to PCs to WAN access,” Havill says.
Just as critically, when the events of 2020 took hold, WISE was prepared.
“We have known for years that mobile broadband is the gift that keeps on giving. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, our competitors were scrambling. We simply picked up our kits and moved to new locations,” Havill notes.
Looking ahead to 5G
Given WISE’s highly successful rollout of all-wireless networking, the IT team is investigating how 5G can help job-seekers.
WISE is now exploring 5G-enabled technologies including:
- Virtual reality to allow job seekers to experience trades such as welding in a safe, hands-on environment;
- Bioengineering or exoskeletal assistance to help clients with more severe physical disabilities; and
- VR and AR for virtual training.
“It’s impressive to see WISE so readily embracing the move to Wireless WAN and as a result being able to weather the storm of 2020 without significant network disruption,” says Gavin Wilson, Managing Director APAC, Cradlepoint. “WISE has achieved results that illustrate why businesses are including wireless options as part of their network mix and reinforce that the days of fixed-only business internet are numbered.”
Research reveals that 51% of Australian organizations plan to start using or increase 4G/LTE technology in the coming year, while 73% plan to start using (or increase) 5G technology use in the next 12 months. A similar trendline is seen in the U.S. with data finding that 78% of companies use or plan to use LTE to provide WAN or internet connectivity, and 82% noting they believe 5G will deliver increased WAN speeds within the next year.
About WISE Employment
Since 1992, as one of Australia’s leading not-for-profit employment services providers, WISE Employment has helped hundreds of thousands of job seekers to find work with inclusive employers who recognise and value diversity.
About Cradlepoint
Cradlepoint is a global leader in cloud-delivered 4G and 5G wireless network edge solutions. Cradlepoint’s NetCloud™ platform and cellular routers deliver a pervasive, secure, and software-defined Wireless WAN edge to connect people, places, and things – anywhere. More than 25,000 businesses and government agencies around the world, including many Global 2000 organizations and top public sector agencies, rely on Cradlepoint to keep mission-critical sites, points of commerce, field forces, vehicles, and IoT devices always connected. Cradlepoint was founded in 2006, acquired by Ericsson in 2020, and operates today as a standalone subsidiary within Ericsson’s Business Area Technologies and New Businesses. Cradlepoint is headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with development centers in Silicon Valley and India and international offices in the UK and Australia. www.cradlepoint.com
Media contact:
HOLLY LANGBEIN
Highwire PR
cradlepoint@highwirepr.com
+1 (916) 769-2199