WiFi is the only wireless LAN technology that allows users to roam seamlessly from work to home and to public places, although some new technologies are coming out that may well compete. Sometimes known as IEEE 802.11B, WiFi is available for both corporate and home users. It's capable of transferring data at a higher speed as opposed to the conventional network.

The main feature of WiFi is its simplicity. Any location that is wired for ethernet access can be changed into a wireless area network quite easily by plugging WiFi network access point into the existing network connecting point. Speed, reliability, range, interoperability and compatibility with the IEEE 802.11 standard specifications are some of the main advantages of WiFi. The drawbacks thend to be cost and a complex setup process.

WiFi has been recognized as a wireless standard by the non-profit WECA (Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance). The members of this alliance include IBM, Apple, Compaq and 3Com. This alliance is also independently tests and certifies the product using its standard to ensure interoperability.

What does the future hold for this technology? The focus of current work is to enhance the existing structure of wireless LANs. Therefore, we are likely to see more advanced forms with additional features in near future.

David Gewirtz is the author of How To Save Jobs and Where Have All The Emails Gone? For more than 20 years, he has analyzed current, historical, and emerging issues relating to technology, competitiveness, and policy. David is the Editor-in-Chief of the ZATZ magazines, is the Cyberterrorism Advisor for the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, and is a member of the instructional faculty at the University of California, Berkeley extension. He can be reached at david@zatz.com and you can follow him at http://www.twitter.com/DavidGewirtz.