802.11n continues to be the hot topic in the WLAN industry and it’s only going to get hotter. I highly recommend reading eWeek’s “10 Things You Should Know About 802.11n” slide show to get a good grasp for what you are in for if you plan on deploying any time soon.

Along those lines, I was talking with a customer this week about their future WiFi roll-out plans. This customer has been using the AirWave software to manage their network for about 3 years. They are managing about 450 autonomous APs that cover their libraries, class rooms and some other public areas. They’ve recently announced plans to add an additional 450 devices. They have chosen a controller based architecture for this roll out and will be using a/b/g/n APs. Over time they hope to phase out the legacy devices but believe it will take some time.

This multi-standard environment is going to be typical for at least the next 1-2 years.