Much more mobile

It's a good-news twofer this week: News that new trials are beginning for in-flight WiFi is welcomed by every business traveler who's gone coast-to-coast while a project waited on "pause" for a few critical hours. Add to that the news that new applications, from Google's search portal to SAP's ERP, are being made available on wireless platforms, and it's obvious that users will be able to remain more productive, more of the time.

These bits of good news are wonderful because they help move the market in the direction of fulfilling the ultimate promise of wireless technology--a vision of ubiquitous computing that lets us be productive wherever we are, whenever we need to be. For those of us who have built careers away from an office, the promise is great. For those who haven't, the promise is even greater, because it means the possibility of changing the way that work is done. With traffic and environmental concerns growing, it's time for organizations to take fresh looks at wireless technology. It's a good thing that wireless is ever more ready to step up to the challenge. -Curtis