The U.S. mobile worker population will grow steadily to 105.4 million in 2020, according to a forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC). By the end of the forecast period, IDC expects mobile workers to account for 72% of the total U.S. workforce.

If your communications infrastructure is not set up to handle the needs of mobile workers, your business could be missing out on gains in productivity and employee loyalty. Since adequately equipped mobile workers can do their job anywhere, they can perform on the go without having to wait until they get back to their desk to implement certain tasks. A study conducted by Staples found that 76% of telecommuters are more willing to put in extra time on work and report being more loyal to their company since telecommuting.

Here are six ways that you can leverage your VoIP telephony system to enable workforce mobility.

By Phil Bowers, Senior Marketing Manager, Grandstream

A new trend is beginning to develop within the business communications industry. Being driven largely by enterprises looking to streamline internal networks by eliminating wiring, voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) could be the next major advancement within the VoIP industry. It features the same exact backend hosted, cloud, or SIP trunk services as any wired voice-over-IP (VoIP) network, but with the connections being extended to endpoints through an immersive Wi-Fi network rather than an endless maze of Ethernet cabling.

Here at Grandstream, we are leading the Wi-Fi voice trend through a variety of initiatives and solutions designed to allow businesses to build powerful VoWi-Fi networks that increase productivity, streamline installation and management, and offer eco-friendly benefits. This article will introduce the Wi-Fi voice trend, cover the reasons many businesses are adopting Wi-Fi voice networks, combat a major Wi-Fi voice concern, and highlight the Wi-Fi voice solutions we offer at Grandstream.

Product Review

Wireless networks have evolved into an almost ubiquitous service. Coffee shops, restaurants and shopping malls are all expected to provide Wi-Fi connectivity as part of the customer experience. For many establishments such as hotels, the existence and the quality of a wireless network can make or break its ratings on travel websites. Large corporate enterprises, educational institutions and conference centers all have extensive facilities where large-scale Wi-Fi networks are not only desirable, but absolutely necessary.

With the needs of the market so great and the breakneck speed at which this technology keeps advancing, a solution which is innovative, cost effective, futureproof and easy to deploy and manage is a must.

TP-Link, a company which entered the international market in the mid-2000s, has become a major contender to provide just what the market needs. In this article, we review the new EAP225V3 indoor and EAP225 outdoor access points,  TP-Link’s smart PoE switches and its world-class EAP Controller Software.