Savings count at a growing financial firm: wireless connectivity expands opportunities for employees - Wireless: wireless ethernet

Communications News, Nov, 2001

When the Morristown Financial Group, a New Jersey-based financial planning and services firm, started expanding, managing partner John Hyland faced a substantial capital expense decision. If he hired the additional employees that the firm needed, he would also need a networking system that allowed those new employees to easily share documents. The firm was going to be relocating within the year, however, and he did not want to pay twice for network installation and cabling.

"We were growing rapidly and knew we needed to relocate," Hyland says. "We didn't want to spend time and money wiring the office space and then, three months later, abandon it." Hyland decided to fully integrate the wireless network into his office, which supports 14 desktop workstations, four laptops, and two printers. "The wireless solution was perfect because we could just unplug it and take it with us to the new space."

The firm's first wireless system had only 2-Mbps capability, which was upgraded to 11 Mbps. A mix of older products--compatible with newer ORiNOCO wireless products line--was being used for its wireless network: an Agere Systems' ORiNOCO AP- 1000 wireless access point connected to an Efficient Networks FlowPoint hub to share a 1.5-Mbps DSL Internet connection.

The wireless access point provides full wireless networking functionality at 11-Mbps speed (802.11b), with Morristown Financial's choice of 64-bit encryption; 128-bit encryption is also available. The access point can be expanded to include a second card, so wireless links can be created instead of running cable to create two overlapping-but-separate coverage cells. The installation of the access point and the network cards in the various computers and laptops, Hyland says, was fast, simple and problem-free, and the staff adjusted easily.

The AP-1000 extends the range of a cabled ethernet network, providing easy network access to mobile users and difficult-to-wire locations. The wireless network system enables the firm's mobile professionals to connect wirelessly to the network, and provides full access to e-mail, important files and the Internet--all at ethernet network performance levels.

In addition to the base stations, the solution consists of Type II PC cards for notebook computers and mobile computing devices, and ethernet/serial port adapters for legacy devices. For desktop computers, easy-to-install, plug-and-play USB radios are now used instead of PC cards and ISA/PCI adapters.

When Morristown Financial brings on new employees, all the firm has to do is install a new wireless card in the laptop. After the card or USB radio is installed, Hyland issues the new employees their own passwords, and they are ready to go to work.

Hyland sees many opportunities cropping up that will utilize the wireless connectivity. For one, the firm has found that the wireless technology has helped it to "wow" its clients.

"It's a nice feature to be able to sit at the conference room table with wireless laptops connected to the Internet and show clients immediately how to remotely access their accounts," Hyland says. "It's much more impressive than pulling them into my office and turning on my desktop."

Hyland says that Morristown Financial is also able to work with a neighboring accounting firm with more ease than a wired network would have allowed. "We're doing some partnering with a CPA firm that is on the same floor as us, and the wireless solution allows us to share files easily on the network. The CPA firm will be buying the technology for one or two workstations, so that our two companies can work together on this project easily."

Certain files on the network are protected, so that only staff with a password can access them. Other files are accessible to anyone on the network.

Hyland liked his office wireless setup so much that he hooked up an identical wireless network at home, using the ORiNOCO RG-1000 residential gateway. "This gives me the flexibility to sit anywhere in the house and access the Internet." The ORiNOCO setup software on his laptop permits multiple configurations to allow for four different wireless network profiles.

Today, what began at work five years ago as a capital expense decision allows Hyland to go from home to office fully connected. www.agere.com

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