Wireless Technology

Executive Summary

This report basically shows how to implement WLAN in various stores to make them connected. This report highlights how WLAN works, infrastructure WLANS, assessment and implementation of WLAN and solutions regarding it. The core focus of this report is to help the management to take actions in order to fully integrate its retail outlets.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

Discussion5

How WLANs Work6

Infrastructure WLANs7

Microcells and Roaming7

Assessment and Implementation8

Step 1: Plan your wireless strategy8

Step 2: Ensure that your concepts are viable9

Step 3: Run a controlled test10

Step 4: Continue limited deployment10

Step 5: Roll-out solution retail shops wide10

Solution11

Introduction

The evolution of the point-of-service at the retail stores has taken us from stand-alone registers and point-of-sale systems to sophisticated POS systems that are increasingly connected and capable of delivering more value by targeting not only store operations but also the customer. Supply chain and real-time operations have turned disconnected stores into increasingly connected stores that share not only data but also voice and video.

This evolution is affecting the store and the retail IT environment as a whole. New applications and devices designed for multi-channel retailing are promising to increase operations efficiency, and to drive up revenue and customer experience. But if these trends and advances in technology are not architected with security in mind, they also make the retail environment more vulnerable to electronic threats (Mitchell, 2012).

As in-store systems and devices become increasingly interconnected, the need to secure the retail environment grows exponentially. Figure 1 depicts a view of what a retail store may look like today.

Figure 1. A view of a retail store

Discussion

As I am the consultant, I am liable to implement a wireless technology that will link all of Athlete's Shack stores I have to implement the WLAN in every store of the company. A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a flexible data communication system implemented as an extension or as an alternative for, a wired LAN within a building or campus. Using electromagnetic waves, WLANs transmit and receive data over the air, minimizing the need for wired connections. Thus, WLANs combine data connectivity with user mobility, and, through simplified configuration, enable movable LANs (Bell, 1996).

How WLANs Work

A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a flexible data communication system implemented as an extension to, or as an alternative for, a wired LAN within a building or campus. Using electromagnetic waves, WLANs transmit and receive data over the air, minimizing the need for wired connections. Thus, WLANs combine data connectivity with user mobility, and, through simplified configuration, enable movable LANs. Over the last seven years, WLANs have gained strong popularity in a number of vertical markets, including the health-care, retail, manufacturing, warehousing, and academic arenas. These industries have profited from the productivity gains of using hand-held terminals and notebook computers to transmit real-time information to centralized hosts for processing. Today WLANs are becoming more widely recognized as a general-purpose connectivity alternative for a broad range of business customers. The U.S. wireless Lan market is rapidly approaching $1 billion in revenues.

Infrastructure WLANs

In infrastructure WLANs, multiple access points link the WLAN to the ...