Know About Managed WiFi Solutions: Basics, Benefits, Application, Providers
The professional environment dynamics and wireless connectivity complexities have urged businesses to move towards innovative and more straightforward WiFi solutions. These managed WiFi solutions directly enhance employee productivity, efficiency, and coordination.
Managed WiFi services are being used not only for employees in offices but also for customers in the hospitality and real estate service sectors.
That said, whether you are a business in several locations with a small in-house IT team handling the end-to-end WiFi needs of your employees – in that case, you are a classic (potential) buyer of managed WiFi solutions.
Why? Because managing your own wireless internet connections is nothing less than a full-time committed job! And you now have exposure to smarter, cheaper ways to meet the wireless internet needs of your employees and customers.
We will cover all the essentials concerning your queries about this innovative WiFi solution, from its basics, benefits, application to its top provider list.
So, bring on your reading appetite. This article will not make you move your eyes out of the screen.
Here we go!
What are Managed WiFi Solutions?
In simple words, when a business outsources its day-to-day management, monitoring, maintenance, and support of its WiFi infrastructure, it is meant to be using managed WiFi solutions.
With managed WiFi, businesses contract out their wireless requirements to 3rd party vendors. Yes, many internet service providers offer plans for your businesses, but only devoted and managed WiFi providers come up with specially curated and complete solutions.
All in all, these cost-effective WiFi solutions cover:
- Site assessments to execute ideal installation strategies,
- Configuration/Deployment of wireless devices and related hardware,
- Continuous maintenance for the business’s overall WiFi infrastructure,
- Uninterrupted monitoring to ensure information security.
Now, let us understand the difference between managed and unmanaged WiFi.
Managed WiFi vs. Unmanaged WiFi
Unmanaged WiFi requires your in-house IT team to be responsible for end-to-end components of your wireless internet, such as routers, switches, access points, firewalls, controllers, and performance sensors. On top of this, obsolete hardware calls for timely upkeep, thus, further burdening the in-house IT team with extra repair work.
On the other hand, managed WiFi services take over these factors and remove substantial workload from your IT team.
Below is a list of challenges that business face with unmanaged WiFi services:
- Nonexisting WiFi assessments
- Negligible WiFi engineering
- No installation or configuration
- Insufficient recces
Managed WiFi providers offer various services that unmanaged WiFi doesn’t. For example, they develop a secure wireless network for your business from scratch and monitor the same 24*7 for 365 days a year. Of course, these services come at a monthly fee, but it significantly reduces your cost in buying expensive hardware and paying for its upkeep.
Working Mechanism of Managed WiFi
Step 1: Once you thoroughly analyze your business WiFi needs and decide on buying managed WiFi services, you need to research and pick an ideal managed WiFi provider to match your unique needs.
Step 2: Next, your provider will do a comprehensive recce and recommend a customized wireless plan for your site.
Step 3: After doing the site visit, your provider will install and test your systems to ensure optimum performance levels are reached.
Step 4: Finally, your provider will execute configuration, and voila, your network is ready to be used.
Step 5: Unlike traditional WiFi providers, managed WiFi providers will not disappear from the site. They will continue to provide engineering support, upgrade, manage day-to-day tasks, and security to your network.
Selectra highly recommends that you go through before doing managed WiFi shopping:
- Does the provider offer comprehensive WiFi site surveys?
- Does the provider offer curated WiFi designs engineered by competent authorities?
- Does the provider have the latest WiFi hardware at its disposal?
- Will the provider execute all the installation and configuration processes?
- Will the provider offer a complete support system by managing elements such as access points, firewalls, switches, and sensors?
- Does the provider offer regular performance monitoring services?
- Does the provider release regular network health reports?
Top 3 Benefits of Managed WiFi Solutions
We hope by now you have got a fair understanding of the basics, working, and application of managed WiFi solutions.
Your managed WiFi provider remotely evaluates your network and performs necessary system updates, identifies threats, and works in collaboration with your IT team to address ongoing or potential issues.
Let us now look at the top 3 benefits of choosing managed WiFi over unmanaged WiFi:
Cost-saving:
There are two angles to look at this advantage – i) the costs associated with managed WiFi are predictable (i.e., free of surprises), thus, helping you comfortably stick to your budget, ii) there is a considerable reduction in IT expenses + workload of your IT resources. It truly is a win-win situation.
Reliability
Dedicated, 24*7 managed WiFi services prevent businesses from losing out on peak productive hours. The provider can remotely diagnose and troubleshoot problems in real-time.
Security
Security is undoubtedly the most significant concern when it comes to wireless networks. Managed WiFi providers perform centralized monitoring and access control for all users and their privileges, thus providing additional layers of security.
Application of Managed WiFi Solutions
Managed WiFi services are commonly used in restaurants, retail stores, commercial and residential buildings, coworking spaces, hotels, hospitals, educational institutions, shopping malls, and sports arenas
List of 3 Best Managed WiFi Providers in India
We have listed down some of the best managed WiFi providers below:
Airtel Business – Managed WiFi leverages an intelligent, scalable WiFi network solution that is available across locations at all times and has a centralized proactive management and control system.
What caught Selectra’s attention: Automated’ cloud-hosted, greater mobility, and unprecedented insight into the user experience.
Vi Managed WiFi Solution is a fully managed network solution that businesses themselves can easily manage. It comes with automated security access for guests, detailed performance insights, and other attractive applications.
What caught Selectra’s attention: Its automation engineering does not require businesses to depend on in-house or external support for management. Also, it allows you to pay only for what benefits you purchase – making it a lower upfront capital investment.
Spectra Managed Services delivers a unified user experience across devices to employees and visitors, while ensuring security through a centralized authentication mechanism.
What caught Selectra’s attention: Proactive network monitoring; hassle-free, high-performing Wi-Fi network.
Sify Technologies Managed WiFi provides end-to-end services, including site inspection, network design, and 24*7 technical support. Its built-in security features detect unauthorized access attempts in real-time.
What caught Selectra’s attention: Focus on the security aspect of the wireless network; specially designed plans for businesses of all sizes
AT &T Managed WiFi provides outsourced IT services for different sectors such as retail stores, real-estate properties, and traditional businesses.
What caught Selectra’s attention: Scalability of the services (reach in 60 countries), cutting-edge technology, and high internet speeds.
Conclusion
We’d like to conclude the article by restating that your business’s IT environment can be simplified through managed WiFi solutions. The benefits reaped from choosing this solution over traditional ones outweigh all the associated costs.
