QFloors is keeping up with the extremely fast technology that’s on the horizon.
Even without going into the technical details and history of things, it’s obvious to most people that computers and Internet services are getting faster all the time, and that our dependence on them is apparent. (Painfully apparent when they don’t work!)
We at QFloors have always nudged our users into some of the newer technology available. QFloors was designed with larger computer monitors and higher screen resolutions in mind, when 15-inch monitors were the norm, and the 17- and 19-inch monitors we were recommending were fairly expensive - and large and very, very heavy. Now, most users have thin, lightweight, widescreen monitors that are 22 to 24 inches and even larger, and some have two or three monitors. And I remember having to keep track of which customers didn’t use email so that we could fax or mail things to them instead, and eventually mailing out a notice that our important notices would be sent only via email.
We’re still nudging a little. In a recent email to all of the employees here, Chad Ogden, CEO and President of QFloors said, “We are counting on faster and more reliable Internet access to be the future, and that is one of the reasons we are creating QPro.” Since QPro is true “cloud” software , it will be accessible to you whenever and wherever you have Internet service and a device with a Internet browser. The faster and more reliable your Internet connection, the better your QPro experience will be.
How fast are things getting? And why should we discuss it in a QFloors newsletter? “The combination of better chips and faster connections could make streaming data so fast ‘you'll never need a USB cable again,’ Qualcomm CEO Steven Mollenkopf told an audience at technology trade show CES in Las Vegas.” (1) (Qualcomm makes the processors found in many high-end smartphones.)
The Internet and the technology for devices that use it are moving toward 5G. You’ve probably heard of 4G speeds for your cell phone data, and the old 3G before that. 5G is the next generation of mobile networks. It won’t be available for a few years, but it is definitely on its way.
I’ll come back to that in a moment, but stay with me while I get just a little bit technical in order to explain just how fast things are getting. And try and focus on the number comparisons rather than on the jargon and terminology.
Internet and network speeds are typically measured in Megabits per second (abbreviated as Mbps, Mb/sec, or Mb/s), and some in Gigabits per second (Gbps, Gb/sec, or Gb/s). A Gigabit is 1000 times faster than a Megabit (1 Gbps = 1000 Mbps).
The wired network in your office (called “ethernet”) is probably rated at 100 Mbps, although that technology is getting a little old now. That converts to one tenth of a Gigabit (0.1 Gbps). Newer ethernet technology is rated at 1 Gbps, which is pretty fast (appropriately called, “Gigabit ethernet”). But the average Internet speed in the U.S. is just under 55 Mbps (2). That’s far below the 100 Mbps that your office or home ethernet are rated for. (Although many business-class Internet services are advertised up to 150 Mbps. And Google Fiber Internet service is rated at 1 Gbps but good luck getting that technology in your area, especially since Google seems to be pulling out of that project. (3))
The newest Wi-Fi networks (i.e., “wireless”) these days rate at 150 Mbps and up.
As for cell phones, the average mobile network speed is about 19 Mbps (2).
Getting back to the 5G that’s coming... it is expected to have speeds of 20 Gbps or higher for Wi-Fi connections, and 100 Mbps for cell phone connections, and is also expected to reliably allow many more devices connected to it at one time without a decrease in performance. I found some carbon paper one day and showed it to my children so they could see it and use it before it’s all gone. I suspect that some day, they’ll show their children a network cable for the same reason.
The faster and more reliable your Internet connection, the better your QPro experience will be. And fast is coming soon.
References:
- Balakrishnan, Anita. "Soon You'll Be Able to Throw out Your USB Cables - Qualcomm's CEO Explains Why." CNBC. CNBC, 06 Jan. 2017. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
- Speedtest Market Report, www.speedtest.net/reports/united-states/ 3 Aug. 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
- Fung, Brian. “Why Google Fiber is no longer rolling out to new cities.” The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.
