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by David R. Brousell, MA Editorial Staff   | Abstract: | Infrastructure and reliability issues have created obstacles to widespread deployment of wireless networks in manufacturing, but help is on the way. |
It would be easy to be skeptical, even cynical, about wireless communications. After all, who hasn't experienced a dropped cell phone call or been unable to get Internet access from a hotel room? It says something when carriers compete on the basis of fewest dropped calls: It is not a question of whether calls will be lost; it is only a question of how many. For some, that may add up to a sad state of affairs for wireless. Despite promises of greater mobility and lower cost compared with physical wiring, wireless technology's reliability issues have created a risk profile that many manufacturers may be reluctant to bet on. But before you walk away from the wireless table, you might want to note a number of developments that offer hope that wireless technology does indeed have an important future in manufacturing, a future that is secure, reliable, and provides compelling advantages for manufacturers determined to create more agile, faster, and more transparent businesses. [Click to continue] |