Ruckus recently made history by announcing the development of Ruckus Networks R750, the world’s first WiFi 6-certified access point, making this a hugely exciting time for Curve IT to be partnering with the firm. In other words, WiFi 6 is finally becoming a reality.

Let’s take a closer look at what this means.

What is WiFi 6?

WiFi 6 is the latest evolution in WiFi standards – the last, WiFi 5, was released over five years ago. WiFi 6 uses OFDMA – Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access – which breaks down the signal into sub-carriers and scheduling. In practice, this means that low-data-rate transmission can take place from several users at the same time – and so many devices can be connected simultaneously without a drop in WiFi speed and performance.

As such, whilst WiFi 6 can technically increase client device speeds by nearly four times compared with WiFi 5, its really transformative impact is in relation to efficiency. It optimises network capacity and improves performance in busy environments. It can also extend battery life of individual devices.

Ultimately, even the most ultra-dense indoor environments will enjoy high-speed connectivity across all devices, making WiFi 6 a powerful innovation for business across a range of sectors. Whether you’re running a growing business with employees using multiple devices simultaneously, developing a complex IoT ecosystem, or running an environment with large numbers of visitors frequently arriving and leaving, like an events space, WIFi 6 should have a hugely positive impact. 

The importance of access points

However, to harness all these benefits, organisations need to install access point such as routers which are able to connect a diverse set of client devices – from simple IoT sensors which require low power and low latency, through to devices running high-performance applications like 4K video streaming or artificial intelligence solutions. This is where Ruckus’s new access point comes in.

Crucially, WiFi 6 is backwards-compatible, so by installing WiFi 6 access points organisations will not be rendering their WiFi 5 devices obsolete. Rather, they will be putting the foundations in place for a next-generation approach to wireless networking.

High-speed, high-bandwidth internet connectivity is going to be a critical element in business operations over the coming years. From simply keeping employees, partners, visitors and customers connected, to gathering IoT data from across the organisation, to running high-performance, next-generation applications, all will be powered by effective WiFi infrastructures. WiGi 6 will be genuinely transformative, and we are excited to be working alongside one of the giants in the industry.

To learn more about how you could harness WiFi 6 in your organisation, get in touch with us today.

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With free WiFi now seen by many as a basic human right, customers often expect to find it no matter where they are or what they are doing – and nowhere is this more apparent than in the hospitality sector.

The benefits of offering free WiFi

The increasing omnipresence of WiFi means a high percentage of people out and about want internet access 24/7, with hotels, restaurants, cafes and many retail outlets now offering free WiFi to their customers. There are some obvious benefits, such as:

• An increased competitive edge
  People actively seek out places where they can access free WiFi, and are more likely to recommend venues to friends and family.
• Increased spending
  Offering free WiFi to customers in a café, restaurant or shop means they’re likely to stay longer, and spend more money.

But there are other ways WiFi can add value to a hospitality business.

WiFi marketing portal

Curve IT has developed a WiFi portal specifically for the hospitality sector which is designed to enable businesses to promote themselves, engage with their customers, and capture useful data.

To ensure we can roll this out to a wide number of businesses – both in the South East and nationwide – Curve IT has appointed Gary Bristow as head of sales.

“One of the key advantages of using Curve IT’s WiFi portal means businesses can learn more about their customers, and get something back from them,” says Gary. “Traditionally ‘free WiFi’ has been pretty unregulated, so you’ll get people coming into a coffee shop and using the WiFi for six hours and only buying one cup of coffee, and the cost of the WiFi falls on the business owner.

“WiFi is often called ‘the fourth utility’ but you wouldn’t allow a customer to go into the kitchen and run a tap for six hours,” Gary points out. “With a bespoke portal from Curve IT the owner of the business regains some control in terms of bandwidth  and data consumption- and gets something back from the customer.

“A custom portal provides opportunities for user engagement, analytics, data capture and more. That might mean social media interaction which encourages them to share where they are or ‘like’ something;customer information which enables some marketing action; or more advanced technology which can allow location tracking, footfall analysis or other data – even advertising space.”

Engage customers and control connectivity

In short a bespoke portal and internet gateway offers businesses more control over who uses their WiFi – and how.

• With a bespoke WiFi portal in place businesses are able to influence customer behaviour.
• There are many different ways of interacting with customers. (For example, a huge amount of targeted marketing can be done just through collecting a customer’s date of birth when they log in.)
• A portal and gateway benefits everyone – from two or three users in a cafe to thousands in a residential building.
• By controlling data transfer and bandwidth a more level playing field is created.
• With a Curve IT portal and gateway, every end user will have a positive experience with connectivity no matter how many others are using the WiFi.

Brighton Spiegeltent was one of the first venues to deploy Curve IT’s WiFi marketing portal during the Brighton Festival.

Bespoke technology service

Curve IT can provide bespoke internet services to suit every business – be it hotel, retail outlet, multi-dwelling unit (MDU) or small scale business.  The same service is also applicable to all types of events and venues; indoor or outdoor, temporary or permanent.

Usually the first step is an onsite visit so that the building or venue to be connected can be surveyed and information gathered about how many users will access the WiFi and what they will be using it for.

Understanding the venue is key to Curve IT ensuring the most efficient WiFi technology solution can be delivered. Curve IT works with industry leader Ruckus, whose solutions are smart, secure and scaleable, no matter how tough the environment.

“There’s a very structured approach to understanding the venue and its needs, measuring footfall and potential number of devices that might be connected,” says Gary. “Different levels of pricing are available for differing venue sizes, and we are even able to offer a ‘plug and play’ solution for smaller businesses.”

“The Curve IT team is experienced with all types of business – from small outlets to very large residential developments in the private rental sector (PRS), where it’s crucial that the IT infrastructure is able to respond to the inevitable changes in technology throughout the lifespan of the building.”

For more information about what Curve IT can offer your business, email Gary or call 01273 806220.

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