Why Wireless?
Manufacturers with wired products that do not have wireless counterparts challenged us with this question: Why should I consider wireless for my products?
 At first, technical reasons kept manufacturers from considering wireless functionality. The lower costs and advanced reliability of wireless communications is causing many of our customers to take another look at adding wireless functionality to their product offerings. As recently as one year ago, significant limitations in distance, battery life, security, and reliability greatly limited the applications suitable for wireless solutions. Today’s technology advancements are opening up some interesting possibilities.
Why Add Wireless Flexibility to Your Products?
It's simple. Customers purchase wireless products when it solves a unique need or problem, saves them time or money, or delivers added convenience, or simply the “coolness” factor. Wireless makes sense if there is a benefit or a solution that a wired product cannot address. A wireless solution allows customers to use your products in new and creative ways and can help you gain an edge over competing products. Many of our customers see the value of “going wireless”.
The Features and Advantages You Gain by Offering Wireless Products
Give a customer a wireless version of a previously wired product, and you'll find that they are using it in ways you never imagined. Your product becomes more valuable to them. Wireless products are more:
- Quick and Easy to Install. No more running wires through walls results in faster installations. Adding a new device into an existing chain is less of a production. Customers can install products with less help from your support teams.
- Convenient and Portable. Free from wires, a wireless device becomes more mobile. Take a wireless device anywhere you want it to go. Mount it to places you never could reach if attached to a wire.
- Accessible. Remote access to inputs or outputs via wireless access.
- Maintainable. Wireless sensors can automatically notify you when service is needed.
- Safe. Cumbersome wires sometimes impose additional dangers and liabilities.
- Flexible. Vertical, horizontal, and lateral movements are possible without entanglement.
- Reliable. Removing the human error factor can result in more accurate data and operations.
New service offerings can be generated with wireless products. Because of additional features offered via wireless access, manufacturers find they can offer new maintenance or services guarantees with products.
What new features or new services can you offer with a wireless product?
Cost Savings
Wireless offerings often result in immediate savings. Cost savings result from:
- More efficient, accurate, and timely operations.
- Automated services that free up valuable human resources for other tasks. Wireless devices can replace physical monitoring, status checks, or upgrading operations.
- Reduced wiring costs.
- Simplified installations.
Customize Solutions for Cost Effective Wireless Offerings
Product manufacturers are looking for cost-effective and quick ways to get wireless features to market. What you often find is that off-the-shelf components just do not fit as add-ons or enhancements to the solutions you want to offer.
It can be confusing to choose a wireless direction. The answer can be experienced engineering talent that are capable of modifying available solutions and components to fit the exact need and quickly bring a wireless vision to life.
Summary
These are several reasons why companies are going to the effort of developing wireless enhancements to counterparts of their wired products. How relevant these reasons are to your product or business will be unique.
One compelling new application may be reason to develop a wireless product. Ask your customers how freedom from wires might open up new opportunities. So what can you do to enhance your offering with a wireless feature or add-on?
For more information on wireless development, please visit SSI Wireless.
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