Wireless LAN (WLAN) technology has become a standard part of business networks, and portable computers with Wi-Fi and inexpensive wireless routers have made connectivity even more pervasive outside of the business premises, reports In-Stat. These trends, and growth in the Wi-Fi phone market, pose key security challenges for IT managers, the high-tech market research firm says. Within wireless security, there are two distinct markets: client security to protect data when it is transmitted or stored on portable devices and facility security to monitor the RF environment and enforce policies to protect network operations and assets on the business premises. Together these markets are projected to reach $10.2 B by 2011.
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“In early 2007, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced that it had certified nearly 100 Wi-Fi phones,” said Victoria Fodale, In-Stat analyst. “Strong continued growth in this market is expected as operator deployments of combined Wi-Fi and cellular solutions increase worldwide.”
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
• Between 2007 and 2011, close to 1.5 billion client devices with WLAN capability will ship.
• By 2011, dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi phones will comprise almost 50 percent of WLAN clients.
• Many of these devices will be purchased by consumers, not their companies.