Zebra Technologies Study Finds Nearly Half of Companies in Wi-Fi-Intensive Industries Report "Overwhelmed" Wireless Infrastructures

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., Nov. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Zebra Technologies Corporation ZBRA, a global leader in solutions and services that provide real-time visibility into organizations' assets, people and transactions, today released survey results indicating 46 percent of retail, hospitality and transportation and logistics (T&L) businesses are operating on "overwhelmed" wireless infrastructures. More than half (53 percent) of surveyed companies in these sectors are planning to refresh their wireless infrastructure within the next 12 months, anticipating even greater pressure on their systems due to new devices and services coming online. Forrester Consulting conducted the commissioned October 2015 study on behalf of Zebra Technologies, and surveyed IT and business professionals in 250 global firms in the retail, hospitality and T&L industries in the United States and Europe.

KEY FINDINGS

• Retailers, T&L companies and hospitality establishments are expanding their Wi-Fi capabilities to improve customer service, increase operational efficiencies and make faster decisions. Nearly 60 percent of T&L providers, 54 percent of retailers and 49 percent of hospitality firms have plans to expand or upgrade Wi-Fi capabilities.
• Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of retailers, 69 percent of T&L firms and 61 percent of hospitality companies are expanding, upgrading or planning to implement technology to tap into the Internet of Things (IoT).
• Businesses are planning to add new wireless services including video conferencing and streaming video along with industry-specific applications and services to locate company assets and people.
• Forty-six percent of companies in the retail, T&L and hospitality industries are planning to refresh their wireless infrastructure to improve wireless coverage. More than half of surveyed firms that recently refreshed did so to prepare for new devices and services, and 41 percent of those planning a refresh reported wireless access points (APs) are getting overwhelmed by new corporate-owned devices.
• Seventy percent of firms in France are expanding or upgrading their wireless LANs (WLAN) compared with 58 percent in the United States and approximately 50 percent in the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany.

SUPPORTING QUOTES
Imran Akbar, vice president, Enterprise Networking Communications, Zebra Technologies
"The enterprise network is the critical backbone for connecting every part of a business and helps win, serve and retain customers. A powerful wireless infrastructure enables the flow of real-time data that lets organizations know what is happening with their assets, workforces and customer transactions, giving them a full picture of business operations."

SUPPORTING RESOURCES
Website: Zebra Technologies
Website: Zebra Technologies WLAN Solutions
Facebook:  Zebra Technologies
Twitter: @ZebraTechnology

About Zebra Technologies
Zebra ZBRA makes businesses as smart and connected as the world we live in. Zebra tracking and visibility solutions transform the physical to digital, creating the data streams enterprises need to simplify operations, know more about their businesses, and empower their mobile workforces. For more information, visit www.zebra.com.

Media Contact:
Bill Abelson
Zebra Technologies
+1-631-738-4751
bill.abelson@zebra.com

Industry Analyst Contact:
Carolyn Buerger
Zebra Technologies
Phone: +1-224-316-0066
carolyn.buerger@zebra.com

Zebra Technologies, Zebra and the Zebra logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Zebra Technologies Corporation and are used under license. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. ©2015 Zebra Technologies Corporation. All rights reserved.

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SOURCE Zebra Technologies Corporation