Business Model
The business model for deploying enterprise-class WLANs in the
Cisco internal environment was based upon two underlying fundamentals:
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The desire to embrace and showcase new technology where Cisco
Systems led the industry
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The realization of the real and measurable benefits that
wireless networks would provide to the Cisco global workforce, a workforce that
was already partly "mobilized" by the provision of laptops to all
staff
Defining the Business Case
The issue for Cisco IT was not whether WLANs should be
deployed, because Cisco Systems had long since identified the many benefits
offered by the technology, but rather determining how to cost-effectively
maintain control, reduce overall support costs, ensure a secure wireless
infrastructure, and still provide benefits to Cisco employees. The project team
realized that WLANs would deliver productivity benefits. Additionally, Cisco
already had a highly mobile workforce where almost every employee (in excess of
37,000) was issued a laptop computer. Most onsite vendors and contractors were
also similarly equipped.
Potential mobility (and therefore additional productivity) was
limited, however, because of one simple fact: Laptops usersindeed all userswere
"tethered" to their desks by the traditional Ethernet cable. This simple fact
alone negatively impacted the vast potential benefit that user mobility offered
to the corporation.
The Strategic Value
The strategic value of wireless networking was characterized by
five guiding principles:
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Business value WLANs should
be productivity tools, enabling greater mobility for Cisco employees.
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Comprehensive entitlement Each
Cisco employee, regardless of position, should have access to the global
wireless network.
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Ubiquitous coverage The WLANs
should be built on global, scalable standards to provide a single, worldwide
wireless network.
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Security
IT had to design a secure architecture that did not rely upon the
then-prevalent, yet insecure, static Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) shared-key
framework.
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Ease of use User friendliness
and a common user experience across all Cisco sites were essential for
widespread adoption.
Cisco IT identified additional security principles, including
these:
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WLANs should support both privacy and access control through
enterprise-class authentication and encryption capabilities.
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Network attacks must be mitigated.
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Rogue access points must be detected and
remediated.
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