Wireless telecommunications can save you time and money with all the latest advancements in wireless telecommunication services. From saving money on group business plans to being able to maintain constant communications with your outside reps, wireless telecommunications can help to eliminate missed calls and give you the ability to create plans and make adjustments more quickly and efficiently.

Use a wireless business in every aspect of your business. Get your entire team involved in wireless communication solutions by making sure they know how to take advantage of the many options available through wireless communication companies. Find quality providers of wireless solutions for business online and through peer referrals. Begin using wireless communication companies in a number of ways to make your company more profitable and efficient.

1. Use wireless telecommunication to network your facilities

2. Use information about wireless communication to integrate communications

3. Use wireless technology to stay in touch with employees in the field.

Action Steps
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Communicate better with wireless communication solutions

Rather that rely on lengthy and costly hard-wired options, utilize the latest wireless solutions for business to keep managers and workers in the loop and on the job. Find wireless telecommunication companies that will hook up your entire operation.

I recommend: Get involved with the Wireless Infrastructure Association to keep informed about the regulatory issues facing the industry and to meet other using the latest wireless technology. Call Professional Wireless for on-site applications that can be used for shows and meetings outside of your office.

Go live with a wireless network

With wireless systems you can make and send reports directly from a site while updating information as it comes to you live from vendors and clients. Integrate a wireless software system into your company to make quicker and more accurate decisions on the spot.

I recommend: Read up on reviews and the latest new products that you can use in Mobile Tech Today. AT&T offers small, medium and large businesses wireless solutions that can cover every aspect of your company’s communications.

Stay in touch with wireless telecommunications

Keep up with your team so that you can contact clients and support staff to keep everyone equipped with the connectivity they need to get the job done in a timely manner. Use wireless technology throughout your operations and for easy movement.

I recommend: Keep up with all the changes in wireless technology and the many ways in which you can utilize the newest technology by reading Network World. Avaya can show you how to use wireless systems to maximum your firm’s communications and connectivity.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Let your managers and other key employees try out the free demos of wireless communication solutions before you make a final commitment.

If your office is a tangled, trip-inducing mess of wires, extension cords and power strips, it may be time to unplug and consider wireless technology.

A number of wireless service options exist that allow you to connect to the Internet, make phone calls, link office devices and computers without plugging them into a phone jack — or each other.

Wireless technology, often called WiFi, also allows you to be extremely mobile. WiFi can give laptops online access in locations that offer the service; enable cell phones to provide real-time geographical information and directions and even create a wireless network that will allow you to print a photo from a computer from across the room.

Wireless technology options include:
1. Wireless Internet services.
2. Cell phones with wireless service.
3. A Bluetooth wireless network.
4. Wireless technology routers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Connect to the Internet using wireless technology or WiFi

Offering faster browsing and more mobility than dial-up, WiFi Internet connections allow you to get online without plugging your computer directly into a phone outlet. Instead, a WiFi router is connected to your phone line, providing a signal your wireless Internet accessible computer will pick up. Many public places, including restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses, also offer wireless Internet access to their customers for free or for a small fee. Wireless service can be obtained from phone service, cable, satellite and local and national Internet service providers, which build a wireless network for a city/region or large pool of users, respectively.

I recommend: Frequent travelers and business owners hoping to work outside their office may want to purchase an annual subscription to a wireless service like T-Mobile HotSpot, which offers wireless Internet connectivity in many airports, hotels and Starbucks for about $30 a month. Learn where HotSpots are and register on T-Mobile's site. Boingo is another WiFi provider, with global service and day-only rates; it's wireless rates are as low as $21.95 a month.

Make calls with a wireless technology cell phone

Cell phones now provide more than just free long distance. Phones with GPS receivers can instantly provide maps and driving directions via a GPS navigation wireless service subscription or a software package. Prepaid cell phones may require you to buy a phone, but will offer infrequent users the option to pay as they go for wireless service, as opposed to paying a set monthly fee. Smart phones can also offer employees one-stop tech shopping, providing a cell phone, e-mail capabilities and more. An e-mail and smart phone wireless service designed specifically for small business owners costs about $30 to $40 per month.

I recommend: Choose a phone that can also wirelessly exchange information with your computer, like the BlackBerry Pearl. AccuTracking GPS software works on Motorola iDEN cell phones or RIM BlackBerry phones carried by Nextel and Boost Mobile. Nextel also offers GPS wireless service for BlackBerry and Sprint phones that give directions and tracks asset, inventory, job and event data. For prepaid cell phones, view the list of wireless service providers at Business.com.

Use Bluetooth wireless telecommunications

Bluetooth technology allows you to securely connect PDAs, computers, cameras and phones by creating a wireless network with a low-power radio spectrum. It's similar to WiFi, and can interact with a wireless network, but Bluetooth functions on a shorter, three to 30 foot range. Bluetooth can increase mobility by connecting headsets and cell phones and computer calendars and contact lists into a wireless network.

I recommend: To check and see if your current phone, computer or other device features Bluetooth wireless network capabilities, check out the company's product directory. Bluetooth also allows you to select specific tasks and design solutions using its Assembler feature.

Use a wireless technology router

Most notebook computers now come with WiFi capability. However, a wireless technology router may be needed to help non-wireless desktop computers connect wirelessly to the Internet. Wireless routers use radio signals or Ethernet cables to connect computers -- and to connect them to the Internet. Most give about 100 feet of coverage, making a wireless network work well in a home office. A mobile router also can help employees on the road quickly connect multiple devices to the Internet using a cell phone signal in their car, hotel or elsewhere. Some companies use mobile routers in branch offices where employees only need limited wireless Internet access.

I recommend: PC Magazine picked the Kyocera KR1 as the top mobile router in a recent comparison because of its easy set-up and ability to share Alltel, Sprint or Verizon service. With a data-capable cell phone connected to a USB port on the device, the KR1 will give several computers high-speed wireless service.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Encrypting or setting routers to require a password in order to use wireless technology will prevent them from being accessible to all computers within range.
• •  Note that when connecting more than one desktop computer via a wireless Internet router, you'll likely need more than one connection device.
• •  If you're hoping to set up your office as a wireless network using Bluetooth wireless technology, confirm that any computers, phones and other tech items are Bluetooth compatible before buying them.
• •  GPS software may be more helpful than a GPS service in remote areas because it doesn't require a wireless service signal.

Wireless communication companies change with the times. And as the landscape surrounding wireless telecommunications continues to evolve, following technological and financial forces, you have to keep up with the wireless business to be able to make the best presentations and know what your competitors are doing. The wireless technology industry should be followed closely so that you can remain competitive and land the big contracts.

Follow the trends that are affecting wireless telecommunication company movements in a variety of ways. Read wireless telecommunication publications that can keep you updated with news and information. Subscribe to white papers and wireless telecommunication services articles. Take advantage of wireless network trade groups that keep members apprised of news and trends. Look for wireless news and trends in a number of ways.

1. Get email alerts and wireless business newsletters

2. Participate in associations for wireless communication companies

3. Subscribe to magazines for wireless telecommunications

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Accept emails from wireless telecommunication companies

Set up a separate email account to get email alerts, RSS feeds and industry newsletters that will send you news as it happens, the latest trend pieces and information about what the major industry players are up to. Check this email daily so you don't miss out on important news.

I recommend: RCR Wireless brings the news to readers that will help you keep in touch with all the changes and issues surrounding the industry. Read blogs, news and webcasts daily and weekly to get all the news and trend coverage from Wireless Week, which offers a free subscription.

Join wireless network groups

Association with other professionals in the same field will provide you with an inside track to news, often before it hits the press. Get involved with your trade association and take advantage of the networking opportunities to develop relationships as well as the group's newsletters and communication vehicles.

I recommend: News, industry reports and surveys are just some of the benefits that members of CTIA receive regularly. Join the Wireless Communications Association to get the latest news briefs and industry information that you need to remain competitive.

Read about the latest wireless communication solutions

Take time to read in-depth reports and magazines that cover the industry further than the headlines. Often the best information that can help drive your own business decisions comes from investigative reporting and research articles that take a deeper look into industry issues.

I recommend: Telco News covers the wireless industry in all the global communities. Fierce Wireless brings news and updates for providers and other businesses with interests in the wireless industry and all the emerging issues.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Encourage your staff to read publications and websites that can bring even more news about wireless technology. Make it fun by giving a prize to the team member who comes up with the best news tidbit each month.

Whether you're running a small home business or a sprawling corporate park, wireless Internet access is likely a key component of your productivity. From Wireless-N routers to WEP encryption, there are a slew of concepts and terms that you'll need to know before choosing a wireless setup for your workplace. Understanding wireless key terms can help you find the best system for your needs and help you avoid confusion while you shop.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Wireless-N

Known officially as IEEE 802.11n, wireless-N is the newest standard for wireless networking. Compared with earlier standards like 802.11b, wireless-N offers faster speeds, more flexibility and greater range.

I recommend: Visit Linksys to read more about Wireless-N and what it can do for your business. Computerworld also has an informative article on this new technology.

WLAN

A wireless local area network, or WLAN, allows computers to connect to the Internet and to each other without being plugged into an Ethernet port or modem. Wireless routers and networking cards are the key components of a WLAN.

I recommend: Check out the guide to WLANs at Lenovo. Not only does it cover the technology's basic features, but it also discusses potential associated health risks.

WPA

Short for Wi-Fi protected area, WPA encryption replaced wired equivalent privacy (WEP) encryption some years ago as the best all-around wireless security protocol. You can use it for a home network or in a small business environment.

I recommend: Microsoft has published a good primer on WPA security that covers its main technical specs and operational benefits.

Access point

A wireless access point, or WAP, allows computers and peripheral devices to connect to a wireless network and communicate with each other. Some WAPs also function as routers, dividing the Internet signal into multiple channels and sending them out through multiple Ethernet cables.

I recommend: D-Link makes a number of high-quality access points that make networking reliable and straightforward.

MIMO

Wireless access points and routers with multiple-in/multiple-out (MIMO) technology have multiple transmitters and receivers. This allows them to send and receive more information than traditional networking devices.

I recommend: There's a short explanation of MIMO technology on the website for Intel.

802.11

802.11 is the name for the set of wireless networking standards developed by the IEEE, formerly known as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The organization denotes different versions of the standard--for example, Wireless-G and Wireless-N-- by a lowercase letter at the end of this number.

I recommend: Check out WebMediaBrands to see a list of current and past variations on the 802.11 standard. To dig deeper into 802.11, visit the website of the IEEE.