According to In-Stat (News - Alert), Wireless LAN (WLAN) technology has become a standard part of business networks, and portable computers with WiFi (News - Alert) and inexpensive wireless routers have made connectivity even more pervasive outside of the business premises.

 

The research firm indicates that these trends, and growth in the WiFi phone market, pose key security challenges for IT managers. There are two distinct markets within wireless security:

 

(a) Client security to protect data when it is transmitted or stored on portable devices

 

(b) Facility security to monitor the RF environment and enforce policies to protect network operations and assets on the business premises.

 

In-Stat estimates that together these markets will reach $10.2 billion by 2011.

 

“In early 2007, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced that it had certified nearly 100 Wi-Fi phones,” said In-Stat analyst Victoria Fodale, in a statement.

 

She observed that strong continued growth in this market is expected as operator deployments of combined Wi-Fi and cellular solutions increase worldwide.

 

Recent In-Stat research, Mobility and Security in US Businesses: A Progress Report, found that approximately 1.5 billion client devices with WLAN capability will ship between 2007 and 2011; dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi phones will comprise almost 50 percent of WLAN clients by 2011; and several of these devices will be purchased by consumers, not their companies.