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2010 - The Future is Upon Us
By Bill Ryman and Eric Smith
Security and infrastructure are two of the most quickly evolving and dramatically developing areas of technology today. Before implementing any of the newest technologies, however, developers must weigh the options and consider the most cost effective solution for each particular development. A brand new facility can, for example, take advantage of new network infrastructure technologies available in today's markets. On the other hand, owners of an older building may not want to incur the expense of a complete cabling infrastructure retrofit unless a renovation is already planned.
Security Goes Hollywood
Think Charlie's Angels or Minority Report. Movies are usually fantasies, but in cases where security is involved, Hollywood is right on track. Biometric readers, or devices that allow access when a stored digital picture of a body part is matched to a real-time image of that same body, are becoming more widely used for access to computers, rooms or buildings. Biometric technologies currently include hand geometry readers, fingerprint readers, iris scanners, eye geometry readers, voice recognition, facial recognition and others.
To date, the most common uses of biometric readers have been in the built environment and are most commonly used in place of or in addition to traditional card readers. Many organizations implement biometric readers because they eliminate the need for users to carry an access card or because they want to establish a higher level of security. Today, we can even find Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) that have thumb readers. In 2010, biometric readers could provide security for a wide variety of situations. The biggest potential use for biometric development is in the area of computer and network security. Hackers are able to easily crack security codes on laptops, cell phones and PDAs, so biometric readers in digital devices will become more popular options for those traveling with technology. EDI clients in a variety of industries, including education and healthcare, are incorporating biometrics as part of their overall security plan.
Biometric readers in a networked configuration are also becoming the wave of the future. In this configuration, all biometric readers are networked back to a server where user data is stored. The benefits include a more streamlined management solution as changes in the system can be made on a network level versus on a reader-by-reader basis.
Your Voice…Digitized
In 2010 most of us will also have a digitized voice. No, we won't sound like robots, but new technology will allow our phone network to share the cabling with our computer networks, using the Internet to transmit voice communication. This is called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). About 15 years ago, all building infrastructures included a data network cabling system specifically developed for data transfer and a PBX standard phone cabling system. Today, the separate infrastructure is not obsolete, but experts believe it will be one day.
VoIP connectivity provides more flexibility for the set up and routing of the communications system. The ease of management of VoIP is also a benefit - instead of hiring a network and telecomm expert to manage the technology, a network manager with appropriate experience in VoIP will be sufficient. Due to the fact that VoIP is a standard, inter-vendor device cooperation is possible in theory, however many still utilize proprietary tools. In the future, the VoIP standard may allow more inter-vendor freedom, resulting in the ability to bargain for the best prices on phone equipment.
VoIP is dependent on a building's infrastructure so there are several factors to weigh when considering making the change. If a building is in the planning construction stage, it actually can be more cost effective to install VoIP because you will only need to install one network. However, if you occupy an older building with two networks, it's best to utilize your current system, unless a renovation is already planned. If you are considering other upgrades to your facility it is a good idea to at least investigate VoIP as it is a standard that will help to future-proof your building. Or outsource to a firm like EDI that can use their extensive experience in network infrastructure design to determine if VoIP is the best option for our clients.
Companies that reap the most benefits from VoIP include those with multiple or branch locations across the country. The network can be configured so that long distance calls become a thing of the past, since calls will travel via the Internet.
Experts predict that once VoIP is industry standard, fiber optic cabling and wireless networking will be the next trends. In 2010, the "unplugged" office environment may be the next step to truly evolved wireless enterprises.
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