Wifi as a Service vs Managed Wifi

No enterprise today can run its operations without a reliable wireless network. With the rapid growth of mobile and other internet-capable devices, business Wi-Fi has become essential for any organization. This helps them remain competitive and keep up with customer demands.

However, there’s a dilemma that businesses face when it comes to setting up and managing their wireless network infrastructure – should they choose Wi-Fi As A Service (WaaS) or Managed WiFi? Both options have their pros and cons. This means the choice of which is better for the business depends on various factors.

Without the right information and guidance, businesses often end up making the wrong decisions. This, in turn, can hurt their bottom line and productivity. For instance, WaaS may seem attractive in terms of cost-effectiveness, but if it fails to meet the demands of the business, then the money invested in it is wasted.

Thus, to help businesses decide which solution is better for them, this blog takes a deep dive into WaaS and Managed WiFi. By understanding their features, advantages, and disadvantages, business owners can decide to serve their wireless technology business needs best.

What is Managed WiFi?

Managed WiFi is a business solution that enables an enterprise to outsource the designing, procuring, installing, maintaining, monitoring, or upgrading of a WiFi network to a third-party vendor. It ensures the network is managed, secure, and always running optimally.

Managed WiFi services provide an extensive range of solutions. Their services range from surveys and network design to getting the necessary equipment. It also includes managing, observing, repairing problems, and regularly upgrading your wireless network.

Managed WiFi is the perfect solution for businesses that want to maximize their WiFi performance without breaking the bank or overwhelming their IT teams. It takes away the hassle of having to monitor an in-house network so that your staff can stay focused on other vital tasks instead!

Advantages of Managed WiFi

Managed WiFi wireless network offers several key advantages, making it the preferred choice for many organizations. These include:

Cost-effectiveness

Managed WiFi wireless network enables businesses to save on costs related to purchasing and maintaining the necessary equipment and ensure the network is running smoothly.

Removes Hassle

Managed WiFi puts the responsibility of installing, configuring, and maintaining the network in the hands of an experienced third-party vendor. Hence, businesses don’t have to worry about any of the technical aspects. They can instead focus on other important tasks.

Security

A managed WiFi network provides businesses with powerful security features, such as authentication and encryption, to protect their data from intruders. This can help them avoid costly data breaches and other security-related incidents.

Reliability

With a managed WiFi network, businesses can rest assured that their wireless network is secure and reliable. The vendor takes responsibility for ensuring that the WiFi network always runs optimally and can address any issues quickly.

Improved Performance

Managed WiFi ensures that your network is always running optimally. That means that it can handle more users and data without any slowdown.

Reporting and Analytics

Managed wireless network also provides access to detailed reports and analytics. These reports can help businesses make better decisions about their network performance. For instance, businesses can see which areas of their WiFi network require more attention or which times have the most usage. This, in turn, allows them to make the necessary adjustments and optimize their wireless network performance.

The ACT Advantage

ACT offers managed WiFi services that can help businesses save time and money while also improving their WiFi business performance. Their team of experts can provide a comprehensive WiFi business solution that is tailored to their specific needs. Some key advantages of choosing ACT's managed WiFi services are:

Each user has dedicated and promised speeds.

Value for performance.

Multiple reports and user information are captured and available for any future use.

Customized captive portal.

End-to-end stack for creating various speeds, time limit-based plans, and offers.

Disadvantages of Managed WiFi

While managed WiFi offers a lot of benefits, there are some potential drawbacks to consider as well. Understanding these can help businesses decide on the best WiFi solution for their needs. These include:

Lack of Control

When businesses outsource the management of their WiFi network infrastructure to a third-party vendor, they no longer have direct control over their network. This means that the third-party vendor will have to organize and implement any changes or upgrades.

Dependence on Third-Party Vendors

Businesses will depend on their third-party vendors for maintenance and support of their WiFi network infrastructure. If there are any issues, businesses will need to ensure that the vendor is able to respond appropriately.

Potential Vendor Lock-in

Many wireless netwrok vendors offer their services on long-term contracts, usually semi-annually or annually. This can be challenging to break. This means businesses will need to be sure that they choose the right Wifi vendor and solution from the start.

Restrictions

In certain cases, the WiFi provider may also place restrictions on how WiFi networks are configured or used. For instance, the vendor may not allow businesses to change or customize their networks in any way. These restrictions should be clearly understood upfront before committing to a contract.

What is WaaS?

WiFi-as-a-Service or WaaS is an alternative WiFi solution businesses can use if they don't want a managed WiFi solution. It is a subscription-based WiFi network solution that allows businesses to have WiFi network control and manage their networks on their own.

WaaS integrates three essential elements:

Software

This includes WiFi network management software and WiFi access points. The WiFi network management software allows users to manage WiFi networks from a single dashboard, set up access points, and monitor network performance.

Infrastructure

This includes all the hardware needed for the installation and operation of WiFi business networks, such as access points, routers, and other hardware components.

Managed services

Managed services or simply services refer to WiFi network management services. WaaS providers typically provide WiFi network monitoring and support, access point configuration and optimization, network security, WiFi analytics, billing and charging, and WiFi marketing services such as captive portals.

WaaS eliminates the need for businesses to outsource WiFi network management to third-party vendors. This enables them to manage WiFi networks on their own and get the best WiFi network performance.

Advantages of WaaS

Like managed WiFi, WaaS also has a lot of advantages for businesses. These include:

Scalability

WaaS networks are highly scalable. Businesses can upgrade or downgrade their WiFi network requirements, including hardware, software, and services, anytime to suit their needs.

Lower total cost of ownership

The total cost of ownership is lower with WaaS. This is because they don't need to purchase hardware or outsource WiFi management services.

Creates a predictable payment schedule

WaaS providers charge businesses as per the usage of WiFi networks. This creates a predictable payment schedule for businesses, which makes budgeting easier.

Full control

WaaS allows businesses to have full network control and management. This means they can configure wireless access points, manage wireless networks, and perform WiFi analytics on their own.

Disadvantages of WaaS

Using WaaS brings with it certain drawbacks. These include:

Need For A Robust IT team

WaaS requires businesses to have a robust IT team familiar with WiFi network technologies and business management software. This can be a challenge for businesses with limited IT resources.

Lack of Specialized WiFi Network Management Services

Most WaaS vendors do not offer WiFi network management services such as optimization, security audit, troubleshooting, and WiFi marketing. This means businesses need to manage these requirements for their wireless networks on their own.

Managed WiFi vs. WaaS: Which is Better For Your Business?

Both, managed WiFi and WaaS have their own advantages and disadvantages, which suit different WiFi network requirements. The type of WiFi solution that best suits a business depends on the size, WiFi network requirements, budget, and the WiFi expertise of the IT team.

For businesses with limited WiFi knowledge and resources, managed WiFi is the better option as it eliminates the need for hardware setup and management services. On the other hand, WaaS is better suited for businesses with WiFi expertise and resources. WaaS allows them to have full wireless network control and manage wireless networks.

For any organization that requires a reliable and secure WiFi connection across large sites with multiple users, managed WiFi is an ideal solution. It can help alleviate the detrimental effect of downtime, poor performance, and unresponsive areas to maximize profits. On the other hand, WaaS is a good option for businesses that are looking to reduce WiFi network costs and maintain WiFi performance.

WaaS is suited for hospitals, schools, malls, and other commercial WiFi networks. Managed WiFi is ideal for large enterprises, WiFi hotspots, WiFi cafes, and WiFi networks with high user density.

Ultimately, the WiFi solution that best suits a business depends on its WiFi network requirements and expertise. Companies should conduct an in-depth analysis of their WiFi requirements before selecting the WiFi business solution that best suits them. This will enable them to make an informed decision and choose the wireless solution that aligns with their WiFi business goals.

Depending on the requirements and budget, businesses can opt for WaaS or managed WiFi solutions that best meet their WiFi network infrastructure needs and help them to achieve success. With the right solution, businesses can make the most of WiFi network technology for business growth and success.

Wrapping Up

With WiFi becoming an integral part of business operations, wireless network infrastructure is no longer a choice but a necessity. WaaS and managed WiFi are two WiFi solutions that businesses can use to satisfy their WiFi needs.

We hope that this blog has helped to understand WiFi As A Service and managed WiFi and the differences between them. Businesses should analyze their WiFi needs before selecting WiFi solutions that best meet their network requirements. If you still have questions about WiFi solutions, our experts are here to help. Contact us today for wireless solutions tailored to your needs.

Or, if you have decided to go for managed Wifi, check out ACT's managed WiFi services that can help you create an optimized wireless network infrastructure for your business. The ACT Advantage delivers Best in class WiFi Access Points – Indoor and Outdoor, Dedicated speed for each user, Single point network management, and End-to-End Managed services.

So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch today and build a WiFi network infrastructure that perfectly meets your WiFi needs. We look forward to helping you create success!