Author Archives: Ant Bullock

As we get into 2025, Ideal’s Marketing and Partner Manager, Julia (Jules) Elliot has reviewed a wide range of vendor and industry research, so you don’t have to. Where do the industry experts think we’re headed?

I must confess I love a deep-dive work frenzy, so looking into the predictions from leading IT vendors, distributors, IT researchers and publications is right up my street.

My take is that there are three main themes that emerge:

• AI
• Cyber Security
• Sustainability

1. AI

That AI is top of the list won’t surprise anyone. It’s everywhere you look, including Downing Street, where the PM launched a whole new Government investment stream just a week or so ago.

This year, the experts predict that Agentic AI (AI that can make decisions, take actions, and learn from experience), AI adoption and implementation will go beyond hype into action, with organisations of all sizes using AI tools, integrating AI processes and developing AI-powered products to boost returns and efficiency.

This all has massive ramifications for IT infrastructure and security (see point 2 below). To take advantage of opportunities, data needs to be AI-ready and reliably available via networks in an instant. Infrastructure like switches and data centres may need to be upgraded to cope with more traffic at faster speeds. Hybrid cloud models may be needed to facilitate and manage all of this.

At the same time, organisations will have to face the ethical issues around AI, developing policies, establishing trust networks, adhering to Governance and reshaping leadership in security operations.

2.

Cybersecurity

According to Gartner, Cybersecurity spending is expected to top $212 Billion in 2025, an increase of 15.1% over 2024.

Again, AI is a significant driver in this space, partly within the technology, but also as a growing existential threat.

To quote Cyber Magazine: “AI emerges as a double-edged sword in this evolving landscape, simultaneously offering powerful defensive capabilities and presenting new vectors for potential attacks. Gen AI technologies are enabling threat actors to craft more convincing phishing attempts, create sophisticated social engineering campaigns, and develop autonomous malware that can adapt and evolve without human intervention.”

Using AI to enable security while managing risk is a huge positive, particularly in a Zero-Trust security stance, where speeding up decisions on device and content threats and learning from those decisions is key to safe accessibility.

The downside is the use of AI within an organisation can present new threats. For example, by using a large language model, an employee may inadvertently share commercially sensitive information or data that may compromise the organisation; AI products and processes developed in-house may have unforeseen vulnerabilities.

All of this leads to the conclusion that in 2025, more and more organisations will seek to integrate network and security operations via Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Solutions.

Combining networking and security as a function in a cloud delivered service, the SASE architectural model enables organisations to securely connect users, devices and SaaS applications, wherever the location.

The concept of SASE is a journey, and each journey and starting point is unique. The prediction is that more and more organisations will start this journey in 2025, with the goal of managing cybersecurity at the perimeter to minimise risks from AI, as well as threats like the exploitation of IoT devices as an access point, Supply Chain attacks, sophisticated ransomware, social engineering and phishing attacks.

3.

Sustainability

And the Netherlands-sized elephant in the room?

In its vision statement for 2025, Cisco predicts that the amount of energy used by data centres dedicated to AI is expected to match the amount consumed by a country the size of the Netherlands in one year.

A year ago, Sustainability was at – or near – the top of most Corporate agendas. With a marked change in geo-political outlooks, Board Rooms and IT road maps seem to be prioritising growth and the bottom line for 2025, but Sustainability hasn’t gone away.

As a company that delivers Smart Building and Stadia networks partly driven by a sustainability agenda, we know that clients are committed to sustainability, especially when intertwined with energy and resource saving which contributes to the bottom line as well.

Overall, it seems likely that 2025 will be a year where AI innovation throws up some hard discussions with CSR heads.

Watch this space.

Recommended reading:

Gartner:
Technology for Trends 2025: Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends

Cisco:
20/25 Vision: A Clear Look at the Technology Trends that will Define 2025 – Cisco Blogs

Palo Alto Networks:
2025 Cybersecurity Predictions – Palo Alto Networks

HPE:
What to expect from AI in 2025

IDC Research:
IDC Unveils 2025 FutureScapciscoes: Worldwide IT Industry Predictions

Fortinet:
Threat Predictions for 2025: Get Ready for Bigger, Bolder Attacks | FortiGuard Labs

iT Wire:
iTWire – Top networking trends for 2025: AI, automation, and the future of Data Connectivity

Forbes:
12 Tech Predictions For 2025 That Will Shape Our Future

TD SYNNEX:
What’s Next in Tech: 5 Predictions for 2025 – News

Westcon Comstor:
IT channel predictions for 2025 | Westcon-Comstor

Making your office a magnet not a mandate

Let’s start with the benefits. It’s important to think of a Smart Office beyond the physical walls. In these days of hybrid working, digital apps and multiple communication channels, your ‘office’ needs to be wherever your employees, customers and suppliers need it to be.

Get that right, and you’ll find all of your stakeholders much more closely aligned, more engaged and more united.

In the words of Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO @Cisco “The office needs to be a magnet, not a mandate.”

The 3 pillars that will drive transition

If you are aiming to evolve your workplace towards a Smart Office there are three main pillars you will need to consider.

1. Technological convergence
2. User experience
3. Sustainability and cost-savings

All of them are inter-linked. Whichever one you prioritise will often bring the other two with them.

1. Technological convergence

Historically, IT teams and Facilities teams have always worked in silo, with different responsibilities and different skillsets. That’s changing!

To maximise your Smart Office capability, you want to connect your IT with the Operational Technology (OT) and the Internet of Things (IoT) – and in some cases the corporate network too. The need for a united team bringing their distinct capabilities has never been more important.

By achieving technological convergence, you make it possible for technologies to work together to create a better physical and digital environment. For example the number of people in the building can dictate how many lifts you run or whether you open a full canteen service. You can automatically supply fresh air before each new meeting begins.

At the same time of course, security is paramount. Whilst creating a more converged technology solution, you need to take a smarter approach to protect the proliferation of your digital access points. That could be CCTV cameras; it could be new meeting room apps accessed through the Cloud; it could be employees accessing files from a Starbucks.

2. User experience

We hear Customer Experience or CX talked about in relation to the physical workspace or building. It is also something that is synonymous with the hybrid work debate and how to tempt staff back into your collaborative physical workspace.

You want to create a better experience for your employees; an experience that will help with talent management and retention. Providing an attractive workplace can help recruit and retain employees.

You also need to think about your clients /customers and suppliers. By creating a great client experience, you might just be securing that next purchase order and ensuring client retention.

The ‘Smarts’ can help with all of this. From check-in at a building reception with a QR code, to a seamless log-on to guest Wi-Fi , the autonomous use of meeting rooms, a Smart Office can improve CX at every access point.

3. Sustainability and costs savings

What to look for when your Corporate Wi-Fi is underperforming

When you hear your office workers complaining that their Wi-Fi is better at home, you know you have a problem. And if they’re using it as an excuse to stay at home when the CEO is trying to get people back to the office, it can become a real hot potato.

So what are the biggest issues that IT people face with Corporate Wi-Fi? And what could be the underlying causes?

We polled Corporate IT people to ask what their biggest concern is. And we put the findings to one of our leading technical experts, Chris Dlugokecki. These are his insights into what the causes might be, based on his vast experience across numerous office, retail, higher education, manufacturing and distribution sites.

What are the biggest Wi-Fi issues?

Our poll on LinkedIn, July 2024, identified your key concerns:

So what’s going on here? And what can you do to fix it? Over to Chris.

Speeds, dropouts and blackouts

“These are probably the biggest challenge because A) they are immediately obvious to users, but B) they can be hard for IT managers to monitor, quantify, isolate and fix.

Let’s take them one by one.

Speed

When people say the Wi-Fi is slow, what they actually mean is that their experience on a specific device is slow. And that may have nothing to do with the Wi-Fi itself.

What you need to understand is how Wi-Fi works.

Wi-Fi is like a walky-talky – in the majority of cases, it only handles one conversation at a time. So if the person next to you is using a slow device or there are sub-standard devices on the network, it’s like being stuck behind an old banger on a country road. You might be in a Ferrari, but you can’t use your speed until the Morris Minor in front has pulled off.

Wi-Fi is also inherently resilient. Each device will try to connect at the highest speed first. If that doesn’t work it will try again at a slower speed. So depending on the environment, a user may end up with a slow speed connection, even the Wi-Fit itself is “capable” of delivering ten times more. Retries like this cause delays, and can be noticeable to users.

Basic speed tests can be misleading

What doesn’t help is that a typical IT web-based speed test measures wireless speed and internet speed together. When Wi-Fi is really slow, there’s a strong probability the wired infrastructure and internet line may be to blame.

There are commands on laptops you can run to see what MCS index a device is broadcasting at, ie the speed you are getting to and from a specific Access Point (AP). Beware, these can be misleading. To increase accuracy we can carry out iPERF testing, using a specialist tool to provide active measurements of the maximum achievable bandwidth on any IP network. What we find is that 90% of the time, the client is not capable of the top speeds possible of the AP, the wired network is the bottleneck or congestion on the RF is to blame.

Configuration is key

Whether you have a single office, multiple floors or numerous sites, the key to great Wi-Fi is configuration. And that is highly complicated.

When configuring a controller, the possibilities are endless; but just because there is the option to do something, doesn’t mean that it will help you. When looking at SSID’s some people treat it like a game show: “You get an SSID! You get an SSID! You all get an SSID!!!”

The industry recommends a maximum of 3 SSID’s broadcast in any location, so fine tuning of Wireless LAN configuration is needed to ensure you get what you need, where you need it.

On the RF side, one massive problem is the default ‘Best’ option you’ll find in some RF configuration settings. Many IT people may leave this expecting the AP to take care of settings itself. Although it will use algorithms to calculate the ‘best’ setting, it isn’t perfect – normally far from it. This actually results in uneven wireless networks that may hinder rather than help create a smooth network. Wireless networks that are left to the default settings tend to be those with the most issues.

My advice? Never use the Best button. Get an expert in who understands how to tune for the space, loads and specific usage that is important to you.

Dropouts

Dropouts are typically a result of wireless interference, poor signal / configuration or over utilisation of the airwaves, where there is simply too much demand.

Delays in roaming or reauthentication

What’s going on? Every time you want to respond, even if you’re already on a video or voice call, you effectively join the Wi-Fi queue. We’re back to that road scenario. Imagine you are trying to pull out on a busy road. You might get lucky as you approach the junction and be able to pull out or “talk” straight away. But you might get to that junction and there be a car in your way. You have to wait, hoping that a gap will appear. Here the car is actually another user communicating on the network.

It is possible to prioritise video and voice in settings, but once again there’s always an element of being limited by others already talking, regardless of if they’re your clients or not.

What’s the solution? Typically, we need to look at the RF network and physical environment first and understand what’s causing the problem before we try to solve it. Solutions may be just configuration tweaks; on the rare occasion, it might be that adding another AP will split the load, but this should not be the go-to solution for these kinds of challenges.

Load balancing and hard-roam issues

Another common problem in Corporate Wi-Fi networks is ‘aggressive roaming.’

Your Wi-Fi network may respond to high loads by trying to push users to a less congested AP. Some clients (ie devices) don’t like this behaviour from the infrastructure, and it can end with the client being disconnected without a new candidate AP in place leading to what we call a ‘hard-roam’, where a device is caught unaware between two APs and therefore drops out.

And it doesn’t have to just be in high-density usage. I was once asked to look at a media compound before a major event, where just a few users were having Teams calls dropping out. The reason was that the AP was set-up for automatic client balancing and with just a few devices it was constantly throwing them from one AP to another. The solution there was to turn off automatic client balancing in network settings and allow each device to decide itself. It is important to note that the client (or device) is always the one making the decision about what AP to join.

In another, example we had two related organisations broadcasting the same SSID on from two sides of a road, causing a kind of ping pong effect and eventual drop out for people caught in between. The solution? Rename the networks or preferably combine them into one super-network with technologies such as VXLAN.

In another, example we had two related organisations broadcasting the same SSID on from two sides of a road, causing a kind of ping pong effect and eventual drop out for people caught in between. The solution? Rename the networks or preferably combine them into one super-network with technologies such as VXLAN.

Blackouts and blackspots

A blackout describes loss of connection. A blackspot describes poor coverage in a specific physical area. Both can be down to poor network design, compromised connectivity, interference or changes in the physical space.

There are generally four things on my mind when investigating blackouts and blackspots

1. The APs, their positioning and configuration

Firstly, we’ll check the positioning of your Access Points and that they are installed as per the manufacturer guidelines. Think of a Wi-Fi AP like a light bulb. If there’s an obstruction, you won’t get a “light” or signal behind it.

Architects love to hide relatively ugly APs out of sight, behind ceiling panels or in unobtrusive corners, which affects performance. They may have been positioned perfectly to begin with and then obscured by a retrofit A/C unit.

I’ve seen APs hung vertically on a wall like a clock, which is great for the people on the floors above and below or in a staircase but not good for the workers in your office. I’ve even met contractors who have installed APs without realising they need to be connected to an antenna.

Depending on the issue, we may also investigate the hardware/software itself, ensuring it is not being affected by a bug; it may turn out that poor configuration is causing the issue you are experiencing.

2. Changes to the physical space

If you are suffering with temporary dropouts, it might be due to changes in the space, day-by-day.

For example, an AP near a rack in a warehouse will work perfectly until the rack space is filled up with stock. We had a problem in a loading bay that was affecting vital real-time stock systems; that was caused by lorries temporarily blocking sight lines while they were waiting to unload in illegal parking spots.

3. Interference

Some wireless network designers think that the more APs you install the better the Wi-Fi, but this won’t necessarily be the case. If the overlap is too great you can end up with a greater ‘traffic jam’ and the load bearing issues described above.

And outside interference can also play a part. I worked with a customer 10 miles from a busy private airport and they were constantly battling dropouts. I discovered that on certain days, their Wi-Fi was overlapping with the airport radar; protocol demands that Wi-Fi has to immediately change channels when this happens. Why only on certain days? Because there was a lake nearby and it only bounced the airport radar signal off the surface on low cloud days.

4. The wired connection

Unlikely though it may be, physical connections do sometime get damaged or compromised. For example, the twisted pair in a network cable may have been chewed by rodents, leaving power unaffected but damaging data. Building works, weather ingress, seemingly unrelated maintenance in places like lift shafts can all effect network integrity.

Onboarding guests

Guests are always a fun one. And there are many conflicting arguments over the best way to onboard them.

The balance is always between a nice smooth experience for your guests versus the need for the highest possible security, the need to hold data about who is on your network and to secure written compliance with lawful usage and company policies.

The strategic thinking is that you want to know who owned the device that compromised your network. The counter-argument is that if someone wants to compromise your network, they won’t sign in with bona fide credentials.

To manage this, some corporates and public service use ‘splash portals’, collecting information about each user and requiring them to accept terms and conditions before access is granted. This may meet Infosec demands to meet your Acceptable User Policy (AUP), removing liability for your organisation – but there are downsides. As many of you will know, these pages can be slow, cumbersome and poorly designed, creating a pretty unwelcoming welcome experience.

To get round this, some organisations use a pre-shared Key (PSK) across the guest network , so users just get a password and away they go. That can be a much better immediate experience for the user, but it can be hard to tell who is connected to your network.

What’s the solution?

One solution is to work on the user-experience of the splash page. We’re currently working with one of the UK’s biggest landlords to redesign their splash pages to collect the data and permissions they need in a much better visual environment with a much smoother journey.

Another solution, coming to a network near you very soon, will be Open Roaming authentication.

With Open Roaming, anyone joining your guest network is federated by other credential authorities. If someone is logged into Samsung or Apple for example, you can decide to trust that authentication and let them straight in.

But (there’s always a but isn’t there?) this solution hasn’t been publicised to the general public, so people aren’t aware of it. It also needs support, as well as third party integrations, and it comes with a small cost to be part of the eco-system.

A note about iOS 18 devices – coming soon

The latest Mac operating system, iOS 18, currently in Beta, is reportedly going to use revolving MAC addresses. Every couple of hours it changes the device’s MAC address to keep the user identity more secure. Open Roaming will be able to handle this. Other authentication systems are going to need a rethink!

Onboarding devices

As offices and buildings get smarter, more and more devices, like aircon, CCTV, displays, lifts and access sensors are being connected to the network.

It’s amazing how many people connect permanent devices to Wi-Fi when they could be hard-wired and off the Wi-Fi network . The basic principle we adhere to in Smart Building converged network systems (CNS) is: if it doesn’t move, use a wired network.

In the corporate setting, some administrators want to implement pre-shared key networks (like the ones you see at home). Whilst these allow quick access to the network, the key is very easy to share and harder to contain, control or change.

Unfortunately, what makes it worse is that the rotation of passwords just doesn’t happen. To reform a well know phrase… “A preshared key ends up being for life, not just for Christmas”.

Here at Ideal, we will always recommend a Network Access Control (NAC) based solution for corporate access. Here each user/device will have their own credentials, meaning that the leaking of credentials can be more easily identified and stopped without compromising everyone else’s access.

Generally, Internet of Things (IoT) devices don’t support complex authentication so networks still need to use MAC Authentication Bypass (MAB) to onboard them. Even worse is that they sometimes go ‘silent’, only talking when spoken to. We don’t recommend ever using MAB over wireless; it’s not secure and will create a vulnerability in your network.

Capacity to diagnose and fix

We had a brilliant day hosting some of the smartest minds from the Smart Building community at 150 Holborn last week, one of the smartest buildings in Europe.

Why do we call it a community?

On the day, we had IT, technology and construction experts, who like us, spend their lives creating the infrastructure that gives each Smart Building its phenomenal intelligence, agile operability and sustainable performance.

We welcomed end-users that want to know how to make their own spaces more intelligent. In the company of 150 building owner, Sidara, that included professionals from banking, education, electronics manufacturing, energy, entertainment, fashion, healthcare, legal, pharmaceuticals, real estate, retail and telecoms.

And job titles on the day ranged from Technical Solutions Architect and Head of Facilities to COO, CIO, CTO and ESG Director.

This broad church reflects the benefits intelligent IT network design and implementation can deliver to enhance building efficiency, improve workplace experience, and give building owners and tenants better control over costs, space usage and environment.

Sidara explain their vision for the building

150 Holborn is owned by, and was developed by, Sidara, a group that includes some of the world’s leading consultancies for design and engineering of the built environment. 150 was designed to bring all of its UK companies together in one place for the first time and to create a showcase of what’s possible.

Dan Cope, IT Manager at Dar UK, who runs the Smart Building infrastructure at 150, explains: “We were creating a house of brands for Sidara; the various group companies designed it together. And today, we live in it together.”

Sidara began the journey nine years ago with a clear vision to create a best-in class working environment, underpinned by the concept of a place that could allow ideas to thrive and encourage visual and physical connection between the Sidara companies occupying the finished building.

“We also had clear output goals. So, everything we did, from the architectural design to the network capability, we referenced back to how it would help us to improve aspects against our core list:

Integrating operational and occupational functionality

Moto Shakoori, Founder and CEO at Ideal, said: “We have created Converged Network Systems (CNS) and high-spec Wi-Fi for over 20 Smart Buildings, but 150 is unique.

“Because Sidara were the developer and the eventual tenant, we were able to design the Shell and Core and the Fit Out network concurrently, which enabled us to fully mesh operational functionality and occupational functionality.

“Why does that matter? Well one example is the meeting room functionality. Each room knows how many people are in it at any time, so it manages the room climate appropriately. Based on the booking data, lights dim to signal a meeting is ending, creating a positive meeting room culture. The aircon then pumps in fresh air ready for the next meeting. That level of experience can only happen with hyper-connectivity.”

Leading edge technology behind the scenes

Andy Waters, BEMS & IoT Smart Building Specialist at Schneider Electric (SE), who provided much of the core building management technology, explained that SE developed some specific technology based on Sidara’s vision.

“One example is that we made an independent data layer that collects information from all the separate systems. This allows new systems, digital services and applications to be added without affecting existing services or requiring complicated collaborations. We had never done that before. Now that’s best-practice.”

Creating a Living Lab

Lisa Kenny, Head of Client Experience at Dar UK, London, explains that the resulting building is what they call a ‘Living Lab’. “We now have a building that provides clear data. That enables us to learn as we go along and to make informed decisions at all times.”

Moto Shakoori shared a real example of how this Living Lab is already delivering: “Intelligent IP blinds were originally planned to automatically close on sunny days to keep the building cool; these were then value engineered out at the construction stage to save costs.

“Now we have 18 months of data, we can see that aircon on the south-facing side demands around 35% more energy than the rest of the building. Now we can make a decision about retrofitting the blinds based on commercial as well as ecological sense.”

Workshop identifies key issues

Lively workshops at 150 identified a range of issues that are front of mind in Smart Buildings today.

These roughly fell into 3 categories:

1. Why?

As with any new technological possibility it’s easy to get swept up with all the shiny new products and services on offer. One delegate described it as “like being a kiddy in a sweetshop.” But are you actually going to use this new functionality? Will your Facilities Management staff have the skills needed to run the systems? Will IT be able to interrogate the data? Will there be an appetite to drive change based on what the data tells us?

The group concluded that drilling into why you’re applying Smart technology and what you really want to achieve, like Sidara did so successfully, is a key to practical real-world success.

2. Scope and timescales

A typical building development could take many years. Obviously, over that time, technology can deliver things that were never even thought about at inception. But developers and contractors are reluctant to move away from the initial scope and the effort and cost involved in driving changes through the process can feel prohibitive.

There is often friction between construction firms focused on practical completion against tight timescales, and network and IP partners who might want to re-spec in order to deliver the best possible solution.

What Sidara’s journey to Smart shows us is how close collaboration and open, positive relationships between partners can be key to making a better outcome.

3. The user experience and business case

Attendees came from the private and public sector and found that user experience and expectations were vastly different.

One delegate from the Higher Education sector, described how he knew that Smart technology could inspire students across his campus. After all, who would appreciate Open Roaming Wi-Fi or app-enabled location data more than young people? But getting senior management to invest was the real challenge.

The private sector perspective was almost the opposite. There is huge appetite for Smart; but there’s a chicken and egg situation to create a business case or calculate the ROI. You need data to substantiate the commercial viability. But you haven’t got the data without the ‘smarts’.

What everyone agreed is that workshops like this, where experts and users get together, helps enormously. As a specifier, you realise that no-one has all the answers, which is comforting. As a user you get a better vison of what is possible. And as a technology company, you get to understand what customers priorities really are.

The rooftop plays a starring role

The day ended with the chance for everyone to get together on the beautiful rooftop Pavilion, surrounded by gorgeous plants and thriving nature, in the heart of London.

It was an appropriate place to end a fruitful day. Sidara deliberately sunk all of the building services out of sight, so that the rooftop could be used in this way. The vision for 150 was collaboration; the lively hubbub here certainly attested to the success in this space. And the indigenous flora and fauna is a testament to the sustainable credentials of the building.

Moto Shakoori, Founder and CEO at Ideal, summed up the event: “It was a fantastic day. The flurry of ideas in the workshop illustrated what a dynamic field we work in. The networking on the roof sparked so many diverse conversations my head is still buzzing. We’re at the very forefront of something exciting here and it’s great that so many people have given up their time to share their experiences.”

What role did Ideal play?