New products designed to improve IT
manageability and security for teleworkers who want to wirelessly connect to
their corporate networks are being unveiled by Cisco Systems.
The Cisco OfficeExtend solution, announced March 21, includes new access points and
wireless controllers — including a dual-band 802.11n access point designed for
teleworkers — that will start shipping in May. The new offerings are part of
Cisco’s larger Borderless Network initiative, which aims to
enable network connectivity from any device at any time from any location.
According to some market research firms, as much as 40
percent of information workers in the United States work from home at least
part time. In a
workplace study released in October 2010, Cisco found that three of five
workers worldwide say they don’t need to be in an office to be productive, and
that some would choose lower-paying jobs if it meant greater flexibility in
where they could work.
In addition,
two out of every three of the 2,000 workers surveyed by Cisco say their IT staffs should
allow them to use any device — whether personal or issued by the company — to
access corporate networks, applications and information.
For more, see the eWeek article Cisco OfficeExtend Platform Targets Connectivity for Teleworkers.