Wi-Fi, Linux, And VoIP In Canada

WEFUNK writes "Canadian Business magazine has a cover story promoting Wi-Fi, VoIP, and Linux as 'Stuff that Works: 3 hot technologies that live up to their hype.' The article goes on to describe a number of Canadian success stories, ranging from Spotnik Mobile's growing network of Wi-Fi hotspots to the Canadian National Railway's use of Linux since 1993, and quantifies the benefits of VoIP to a Canadian insurance company's call centre. The article also includes some shipment numbers for Linux servers in Canada, mentions the growing number of Linux apps, and nicely downplays the SCO debacle."

Comments

Wifi and why it hasn't caught on

[GillBates0]

The basic reason why Wifi, inspite of promotion by widespread chains like Starbucks hasn't caught on is that people (or most of them anyway) look at traveling or spending time at coffee shops as a way of getting away from work.

If I could go to a coffee shop and work on my master's thesis, I would, but for that, I would need a laptop, which I don't have enough money to buy. The people most lured by online-coffee shops, I think are students. Most working people would rather stay at home after a hard day's work, or would prefer to stay away from a computer, while enjoying a quiet evening, at say...a coffee shop.

Ofcourse, I'm not against perpetual connectivity, which Wifi promises to offer, but you can't expect a majority of people to actually sit at a coffee shop just to finish their work (this leaves out some students).

We should (or will learn to) treat Wifi as an ever available commodity (like pay phones are) but not one which we expect people to use 24/7. That is simply asking for too much. Wifi will catch on when it's time comes.