JANET Wireless Technology Advisory Service
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About WTAS
Wireless Technology Advisory Service (WTAS) provides free advice and guidance to organisations on all aspects of IEEE 802.11-based wireless technologies. It was launched in April 2007 (read the launch announcement). Typical areas in which the service is able to provide independent technical support to institutions include:
- security techniques
- surveying and monitoring
- WLAN management
- standards and technologies
- user support models
The service is free of charge for JANET customers, however a chargeable consultancy brokering service is also available.
A wide range of information is published on this web site, including:
- technology guides and links to technical information
- bulletins and advisory notes on current issues
- case studies detailing the technical aspects and the experiences of real implementations of a large range of technologies
Follow the menu links at the top of this page for further reading.
Background
The Wireless Advisory Group (WAG) was established in 2003 to provide advice on wireless networking technologies to the JANET community and guidance to JANET(UK) in defining work requirements in the wireless area. The JANET Roaming Service (JRS) is one result of WAG input. The WAG identified that the successful promotion of wireless technologies in education is reliant upon a uniformly high standard of implementation. Poorly deployed or secured wireless infrastructure will not only restrict the successful delivery of the educational objectives of its use at the organisation concerned, but also will exert a chilling effect on the uptake of the technology across academia. The WAG therefore recommended that a more proactive stance was taken with respect to the promotion of best current practice in this area. JANET(UK) has successfully promoted a 'Technical Advisory Service' model for the management and dissemination of technology-specific expertise to the JANET community. The process of defining and implementing a wireless-specific TAS was therefore undertaken by JANET(UK)'s strategic technologies division in 2006/7. The service is constituted to provide advice more formally than the WAG's previous activities and complements the other technology specific advisory services offered by JANET(UK).
Purpose
To provide a JANET Wireless Technical Advisory Service (WTAS) that can provide specialist advice and guidance in the wireless area to those responsible for deploying and managing wireless networks within JANET connected organisations.
Aims
The service will commission reports and case studies, conduct product reviews and provide a help-desk facility supported by wireless service and technology experts from the community.
Any problems, comments or suggestions regarding this page, please e-mail the WTAS service manager.