Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2018.  Read them in this 10th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.

Contributed by Lisa Garvey, VP, Marketing, Mojo Networks

Cloud, AI and Open Standards Will Shake Up the Wireless Networking Industry

1.      The future of wireless networking is in the cloud

Large corporate enterprises and schools want to simplify their wireless network, in order to secure it and future-proof it for what's to come - including the impending, massive impact of IoT devices. By migrating to a fully cloud-based architecture, organizations eliminate the need for expensive, proprietary hardware and protect their IT budgets from the perils of vendor lock-in. By harnessing the power of the cloud, businesses are ensured ease of use and the ability to manage their network anytime, anywhere.

In fact, the recent news surrounding the security vulnerability in the WPA2 encryption protocol highlights another key benefit of the cloud - real-time software updates. Network administrators with controller-based WLAN architectures were lamenting loudly that it would take weeks to install patches on all of their thousands of wireless access points. Meanwhile, their peers with a cloud-managed WLAN were updated and protected within a matter of minutes.

For these reasons, Gartner and IDC are also predicting a rise in the percentage of overall WLAN deployments that will be cloud-based over the next few years.

2.      Intelligent networks that incorporate Artificial Intelligence will depend on the cloud

If your WiFi network was "intelligent" enough to solve problems before they even became problems, imagine how many angry mobs of disgruntled WiFi users who just got dropped from a VOIP call or had to apologize for the poor connection during a customer demo could be prevented from bombarding the IT helpdesk.

For the network to become this smart, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is required, which, in turn, depends on big data. For example, if you program a computer to play chess, and you only give it one game and one outcome as sources of input, the computer will be able to win in some scenarios. But to teach the computer to play brilliantly, to win against the world's top chess masters, you need to give it enough data to compute all of the risks and likely outcomes.

Similarly, sophisticated algorithms are required for wireless networks that incorporate AI to make real-time decisions and automate troubleshooting. That level of advanced insight and intelligence requires access to massive amounts of data. And enormous quantities of data, as well as nearly unlimited storage, can only be found in the cloud.  

3.      The networking industry will eventually embrace open standards

Five years ago, only a few predicted the data center would fundamentally shift with the advent of hardware/software disaggregation. Looking at where we are today, the signs are pointing to the wireless networking industry following the same path of disaggregation.

As network hardware becomes commoditized and network management software becomes increasingly valuable, an open ecosystem of manufacturers, distributors, service providers, partners and developers will bring about a massive shift in the market.

Wireless networks with an open-standards-based approach will become the norm, to the point where WiFi access points will eventually become interoperable. Rich toolsets and extensions written on APIs will transform the wireless network into a full platform.

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About the Author

As VP of Marketing at Mojo Networks, Lisa Garvey's charter is to drive marketing programs that increase visibility, brand awareness, and positive business results. Lisa is a Silicon Valley marketing veteran with broad experience in digital marketing, PR, analyst relations, and branding. Before joining Mojo, she served as Head of Marketing at Pelican Imaging, and held senior digital marketing roles at Rambus, Jabil, and Netscape. Lisa has spoken at high-tech industry events on a range of topics, including web analytics, branding, and content localization. She has served as a panelist on a Stanford Graduate School of Business and San Francisco 49ers "Women in Sports" event, and is honored to have been a Web Award judge since 2003. Lisa earned a B.A. in Philosophy from Santa Clara University.