After going through the list of questions from my recent webinars, I’ve decided to start addressing some of the common questions here in the Airwave Blog.

One of the common themes that I hear is, ‘What kind of mission critical applications are common on wireless networks?’ This kind of question can be very complex and varies by industry, but I thought I’d talk about some of the high points that I see with some of the prospects and customers that I have visited over the last couple of years.

In healthcare, there are two major applications that seem to be consistent. The first is WiFi VoIP deployments. Whether these are the Vocera badge type of devices, the more typical SpectraLink (now Polycom), or Cisco WiFi VoIP phones, being able to communicate with the hospital staff on a timely basis is important. In addition, I’m seeing quite a bit of IV pump and heart monitors that are being monitored over the wireless network. Obviously, these are extremely critical items!

In the retail and transportation verticals, inventory management and package tracking can make or break your business. Consequently, things like handheld inventory scanners and forklift terminals are at the top of the list. In the future, things like RFID will start being more important for all retail organizations, instead of the small list of mega retailers that rely on this technology today.