A survey of 152 IT proessionals across North America reveals that 59% of enterprises are set to upgrade their Wi-Fi infrastructure within the next year, highlighting a significant shift in how organisations approach wireless networking.
Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) says this indicates a strong move towards Wi-Fi 7 technology, driven by increasing security needs and the demand for AI-driven management solutions.
Shamus McGillicuddy, vice president of research for network infrastructure and operations at EMA, emphasises that the evolving nature of work is a catalyst for these upgrades. “The nature of work has changed, and this change has rendered legacy Wi-Fi architecture obsolete,” he stated.
With employees no longer tethered to desks, the demand for broader coverage, higher capacity, and improved performance has skyrocketed. This change is particularly relevant for IT infrastructure and network leaders in Southeast Asia, where flexible work arrangements are becoming common.
The findings suggest that office mobility and heightened bandwidth demands are primary drivers behind these investments. As organisations transition from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7, they seek to address rising user expectations and performance requirements.
Currently, only 46.7% of IT professionals feel their organisation's Wi-Fi networking efforts are a complete success, indicating significant room for improvement.
Add to this the 41.4% of respondents who identified rising user expectations as a key challenge in managing Wi-Fi networks, and it becomes clear that enterprise leaders must act promptly.
The report highlights that 67.1% of respondents cite performance demands as the main impetus behind upcoming upgrades, underlining the urgent need for enhanced capabilities.
Enterprises are increasingly adopting AI-powered Wi-Fi 7 solutions that offer universal zero trust network access, ensuring robust security and high availability.
Furthermore, these solutions facilitate location-based services and cloud-based management, presenting an opportunity for IT leaders to streamline network operations while enhancing the user experience.
As Southeast Asian companies prepare for the impending upgrade wave, these trends signal a broader shift towards future-ready infrastructure capable of supporting evolving workplace demands. For network security leaders, aligning their strategies with these advancements will be crucial to navigating the complexities of modern connectivity.
