Imagine you are one of the chief executives of a major cellular service provider in Europe. You've recently spent billions on one of the bizarre auctions to sell licenses for the upcoming 3G (third generation) technology. In fact, you've bet the company on this new technology. Over a year down the line, you haven't seen any revenue from your investment and there is nothing on the horizon. To add insult to injury, there is this new technology yapping at your heals like a terrier. And guess what, the technology uses unlicensed bandwidth, which means it's free.

This new technology is called Wireless Fidelity, or "Wi-Fi", an increasingly popular networking standard that's used to create wireless local area networks (LANs) in homes and offices at speeds of up to 11 megabits per second, far faster than the peak 144-kilobit-per-second rate so-called 3G mobile-phone networks.

For now, Wi-Fi primarily provides broadband Internet access to specially outfitted computers and laptops within a few hundred feet of a so-called Wi-Fi base station, or transmitter. These create what in the Wi-Fi vernacular are known as "hot spots" in homes, airport lounges, or libraries. Businesses are also adding Wi-Fi networks to allow for easy Net access from conference rooms and temporary work stations -- and also to avoid the hefty costs in both time and money of wiring an office.

Most high-end laptops now come ready for Wi-Fi, equipped with a special plug-in circuit card. Hotels and coffee shops are offering customers Wi-Fi access as a convenience. Starbucks has equipped 530 stores and plans eventually to enable more than 70% of its 3,200 company-owned North American outlets.

Wi-Fi is a no-risk financial decision especially for small businesses or companies in hard-to-wire locations, because of its low cost. Microsoft's Windows XP and Windows CE operating systems for PCs and handhelds, respectively, already come configured for Wi-Fi.

Is it better than the upcoming 3G technology? The applications are slightly different and there are advantages to both technologies. The primary advantages of 3G are that you use it with your cell-phone which is normally always with you and it is always on. However, the advantages of Wi-Fi are speed and integration with your laptop or PC. A laptop or PC is still the most intuitive device for accessing the Internet, downloading and sending email

But what does this mean to you? Consider the following scenario. Its 10 am and you have the weekly management meeting where you have to present the month's results. You pick up your laptop and position yourself in the boardroom. During the presentation, your CEO asks you a detailed question on one expense item. Because you are still connected to the network through your Wi-Fi connection, you drill down in the accounts and provide the answers immediately. After this meeting you need to rush to the airport to catch your flight to the Durban office. While catching your breath over a cup of coffee in the business class lounge, you quickly log on and collect your email. You manage to answer your critical messages before the flight boards. Arriving in Durban, you check into the Royal Hotel and have time to take a quick shower before taking a client out for dinner. On your return to your hotel room, you once again log on via the hotel's Wi-Fi service and do your banking. You collect more emails. The next day, at your client's offices you require data from your company's server. Logging onto your client's network you gain access to your server via Microsoft's Terminal server technology. Once home, you enjoy a movie on the TV with your family while surfing the Internet on your laptop - all using Wi-Fi - you get the picture.

The concept is that with Wi-Fi, there will be virtually no place that you won't be able to gain access to the Internet and thus network with virtually anyone in the world - without having to to battle with a miniature screen and complicated and expensive wiring. This is practical and inexpensive technology that builds upon our existing work habits.

Piers is the Managing Director of Saratoga Software (Pty) Ltd., the holding company of Bizland.

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