Next-Generation Wi-Fi: Enterprises Are Embracing Wi-Fi 7 and AI Technologies
Key Highlights
- Over half of enterprises plan to upgrade their Wi-Fi networks within the next year, primarily transitioning from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7.
- Key drivers for upgrades include office mobility, higher bandwidth demands, and the need for improved performance in high-density environments.
- AI-powered Wi-Fi solutions provide benefits such as universal zero trust access, location-based services, and cloud-based management for enhanced network reliability.
- Current Wi-Fi implementations face challenges, with 41.4% of IT professionals citing rising user expectations as a major obstacle.
Enterprise Management Associates (EMA™) has released a new research report, "Enterprises Embrace AI-Driven Wi-Fi to Meet Today's Network Demands," authored by Shamus McGillicuddy, Vice President of Research for Network Infrastructure and Operations at EMA. The report examines the key drivers reshaping enterprise Wi-Fi networks and highlights how IT organizations are successfully navigating these changes.
Enterprises are changing the way they use Wi-Fi networks, and that change is kicking off a wave of infrastructure refreshes and upgrades. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of companies will initiate such a project within the next 12 months, with most of them transitioning from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7. Office mobility, increased bandwidth demand, and higher performance expectations are key factors driving investment in next-generation wireless technologies.
"The nature of work has changed, and this change has rendered legacy Wi-Fi architecture obsolete," McGillicuddy said. "End users are no longer tethered to their desks. They are mobile, which requires broader coverage and capacity for high-density connections. They are also using real-time communications applications more regularly, which drives up bandwidth consumption and elevates performance requirements."
These changes are leading IT teams to adopt AI-powered Wi-Fi 7 solutions that deliver universal zero trust network access, high-availability architecture, location-based services, and cloud-based management. EMA's research shows that organizations adopting these capabilities will experience greater overall success with Wi-Fi initiatives.
Some of the key findings from the report include:
- Only 46.7% of IT professionals report their organization's current approach to Wi-Fi networking as a complete success.
- 41.4% identify rising user expectations as the top challenge in Wi-Fi management.
- 67.1% cite performance requirements as the leading driver for upgrades for campus and office networks.
This independent research is sponsored by Extreme Networks.