User attitudes towards wireless technology: 802.11b

The opportunity for 802.11b WLAN technology is spreading; both in the business and consumer sectors. Journalistic genre in this embryonic area assert that people use WLAN because it liberates them from wires, which enables complete mobility to use WLAN in any location with 802.11b. This study addresses both business and personal sectors, and quantifies where and which specific tasks people engage in whilst using WLAN. The findings show that WLAN is ‘liberating’ offering all users increased ‘mobility’, ‘flexibility’ and ‘convenience’. Also within the business sector, there are significant differences between the types of tasks employees undertake using WLAN at the office and the tasks undertaken elsewhere, working off-site. Initial multidimensional analysis suggests four groups of use of WLAN within the work environment : formal use, informal use, individual use and collaborative use.