Industrial and Outdoor Wireless Access Points Selection

The Industrial and Outdoor Wireless Access Points Selection guide is designed to help manufacturing organizations make informed choices when selecting wireless access points (WAPs) devices.  It includes both selection criteria and strategies for choosing the correct wireless technology and supplier.

Wireless Devices Overview

Mobile, remote, rotating, and other location characteristics that make wireline installations unsuitable are primary driving factors behind use of wireless devices on the OT side.  These applications are typically found in industries such as oil and gas, transportation, and smart cities, among others.  Adoption of smart factory philosophies, such as smart conveyance and its use of mobile AGVs, conveyors, and other mobile material handling apparatus, is also driving adoption in discrete or factory automation sectors such as the automotive industry.

As these examples indicate, wireless applications on the OT side tend to be more solution specific.  This contrasts their incorporation in more pervasive infrastructure on the IT and enterprise side and in the offerings of the more IT-oriented suppliers.  Consequently, IT suppliers and their IT and enterprise customers will lead adoption of emerging wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi 6, into the industrial and outdoor wireless marketplace.

Extracted from ARC’s most recent Industrial and Outdoor Wireless Access Points Global Market Research report, and drawing on our years of wireless market coverage, this guide will reduce your RFP development time and provide a sound foundation for expediting your product and supplier selection process.

Wireless Access Points Selection Strategic Issues

The following are a few of the strategic issues specifically covered in the Industrial and Outdoor Wireless Access Points Selection Guide:

Emphasize Business Outcomes, Not Technology

Emphasis on solving business problems and meeting application requirements, such as mobile, remote, or other implementations where wireline solutions are not suitable, should be primary criteria when evaluating Wi-Fi solutions.  The plethora of available wireless solutions makes focusing on the desired performance and outcome even more important.

Consider the Impact of New Technology on Infrastructure Requirements and Skill Sets

While many customers are at least somewhat familiar with Wi-Fi in their installations, those interested in 5G must take into consideration not only the potential for improved wireless performance but also the potential need to add incremental cellular infrastructure.  This is where ROI calculations are important, determining whether business benefits outweigh potential incremental investment in areas such as infrastructure, personnel skill sets, and potentially higher device costs.  This is a consideration for not only 5G networks but also potentially with Wi-Fi 6 adoption, which legacy human-machine interface tablets will not support and will need to be replaced.

Avoid Short-term Decision-making

Many customers are tempted to purchase commercial Wi-Fi access points due to their lower cost relative to industrial or outdoor solutions.  The commercial option may be attractive in the short term due to lower price, support for the latest technology developments, and/or use in ancillary applications, but could be short sighted if the devices cannot withstand your target environment for their full lifetime or otherwise meet your application requirements.  Make sure you evaluate current and potential requirements in areas such as temperature and environmental ratings, input power isolation, and other characteristics more typical of rugged devices.

Additional WAPs Strategic Issues

This selection guide explores user objectives, business justification, application scope, selection criteria, and helps answer key selection questions. We understand the challenge companies have in selecting and implementing a solution.  These include:

• How will emergence of the Industrial Internet of Things, Industrie 4.0, and IT/OT convergence impact selection choices?
• How best to evaluate both technology and suppliers for support of your application and industry requirements?
• What tools and standards are available to address industrial security concerns?
• Who are the leading suppliers and innovators by region, industry and application?
• Which suppliers have been acquired by who, and for what purpose?