Enabling next-gen networks in Wi-Fi 7 innovation, empowering partners with new AI tools

I’ve recently sat down for various interviews to discuss networking trends, what I’m seeing across our industry, and my views on what is coming next. It’s an interesting time, and one that throws up both challenges and opportunities.

Higher expectations require next-gen connectivity

The world we’re in now, end-users are more demanding and expectant than ever. They want connectivity everywhere and assume it will be there and just work like they want it to. Hey, the United Nations made connectivity a human right a few years ago, so it’s perhaps not surprising that business and personal user expectations have increased.

Because I was traveling for work, reliability – and perhaps taking fast connectivity for granted - really jumps out at you. As I say, end-user expectations have never been higher, we all expect the network to be always there, always on, and always fast. Wherever we are. We want data to flow seamlessly behind the scenes, and expect our online experiences to be consistent and uninterrupted. I mean, just imagine going to a hotel today and not being able to connect. That’s not just an inconvenience, it affects your productivity.

Add to that an increasingly remote workforce in general, with workers spread out all over the place. Around 50% of workers in Asia say they can do their job from home or remotely, so that shifts expectations too. And of course, changes the need for a reliable network. Remote workers need – and expect – connectivity to be as efficient as if they were hardwired into the company network.

The need for dynamic, resilient infrastructure

It all adds up to a need for a network that is both dynamic and resilient. I see workers come into work environments with five or even seven different devices, using dozens of apps. The proliferation of cloud services, video conferencing, online gaming, and immersive technologies has created an insatiable hunger for bandwidth. Add AI to this mix and the demands that will place on the network too, and you need an infrastructure that’s extremely dynamic and agile, and very resilient.

Next-gen Wi-Fi is here

And speaking of dynamic and agile, Wi-Fi 7 is here. Wi-Fi 7 is a major leap forward from Wi-Fi 6, with faster speeds, lower latency, and significant capacity increases. In fact, Wi-Fi 7 will be much faster than Wi-Fi 6 – for the same configuration, speeds will be up to 2.4x faster, meaning a smartphone with Wi-Fi 7 could reach up to 5Gbps!

It’s an exciting step forward and one full of possibilities. Wi-Fi 7 promises maximum theoretical speeds up to 46Gbps, which for enterprises means faster file transfer, smoother collaboration for large projects like 3D design or HD video editing, and improved overall network performance. Wi-Fi 7 can also improve network capacity, meaning higher device density – able to handle a significantly higher number of devices simultaneously, adding major value to large offices, manufacturing floors, hospitals, and universities, where numerous devices are connected at the same time.

At RUCKUS we are very excited about the benefits of Wi-Fi 7, and proud of the work we have done on Wi-Fi 7 already. We are the first manufacturer to bring the Wi-Fi 7 access point to market, which was quickly adopted into the test bed by the Wi-Fi Alliance. That means all other Wi-Fi 7 access points that come to market after are tested against a standard that RUCKUS was a central part of establishing.

Empowering our partners, achieving together

RUCKUS Networks is not just a channel focused company, we’re a channel only company. Everything we do is for and about our partners. The way we see it, we’re only successful when our partners are.

And we understand that our partners’ own customers don’t just want professional services, they expect a partner who is there for the long haul, for the lifecycle of the project – and beyond. With that in mind we’ve deployed new tools like our RUCKUS AI that carries out continuous analysis on the network to proactively identify incidents before they become big problems. That way we’re able to pre-emptively provide recommendations on how to resolve issues.

It's the kind of thinking that informs our new partner program for 2024, called RUCKUS Big Dogs. It’s an enhanced program that is designed to keep RUCKUS at the top of our partners’ minds all the time. And not only because we have market-leading solutions and top teams of people in place, but because we focus constantly on fully equipping and supporting our partners with everything they need when they go to market.

I was asked recently about what three priorities RUCKUS Networks concentrates on for our partners in a world of fast-evolving networks and ever-changing end-user expectations. First, I’d say that whatever we do, it must be relevant. Our new partner program must be relevant to our partners’ challenges and concerns and designed to help them go to market and address their own customers expectations.

Second, enablement. Our partners are always moving into new verticals and look to us for guidance, use cases, and expertise, that they may not necessarily have in-house. We have the solutions and skills to help enable their success.

And third, rewarding. A partner program has to reward our partners. They support us, so we want to support them right back with a program that is rewarding for them and delivers results and business success.

RUCKUS Networks is empowering our partners to give a much higher level of service to their end customers. Join the RUCKUS BIG DOGS Partner Program today!