Sufian Dweik RIYADH – More than a third of holidaymakers across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) say that good mobile data coverage is a determining factor when choosing a destination, with 86 percent expecting wireless connectivity at their hotels to feed their "online addiction." The finding comes from new research conducted by leader in fabric networking, Brocade1, which points to a sea change in the holidaying patterns of increasingly well-connected EMEA travelers. On vacation, as at home, the temptation to work from mobile devices persists, with more than half of holidaymakers admitting to doing so. Whether it's checking one final e-mail in the departure lounge, or making a conference call from the beach bar, it seems that the majority of us have a hard time letting go, on vacation or otherwise. Some 95 percent of the respondents admitted taking their mobile devices on vacation, and they are as likely to use them for work as for personal use. More than half (56 percent) of respondents said that they used their mobile device for accessing work e-mail or downloading work documents, an increase over last year's figure of 48 percent. "There is significant blurring between personal time and work time in modern society, with the consumerization of IT and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) working policies leading many people to rely on smartphones and tablet devices around the clock, wherever they may be and whatever they may be doing," said Sufian Dweik, Regional Manager, MENA at Brocade. "Our research clearly illustrates that this is causing fundamental changes in working patterns and demands on networking architectures. It used to be that when people went on vacation, that's what they did. Now it seems that we can never switch off from work, even when we're at the beach. With this, the demand on service providers and mobile operators to provide ubiquitous, reliable coverage has never been higher." More than a third (37 percent) of respondents noted that good mobile data coverage (for example, 3G/4G) was a determining factor in their choice of destination. Furthermore, 86 percent expected hotels to provide free Wi-Fi access. A lack of available Wi-Fi was also the second most popular concern about accessing the Internet from abroad, behind only high roaming costs. These findings, Dweik suggests, could show the leisure industry the way to securing a competitive edge in challenging economic times: "With incoming 4G networks promising to multiply speeds and available bandwidth, mobile data coverage will exert an even greater influence on people's holiday choices. People want to reduce the overall impact of work on their holidays - both for themselves and for those they travel with - and they are looking for ways to get the same amount of work done in just a fraction of the time. To do this, the underlying network infrastructure needs to be able to cope." However, the findings may indicate that there is still a gulf between the expectations of modern travelers and the reality. "Many destinations remain unable to satisfy holidaymakers' demands when it comes to connectivity," said Dweik. "Hotel owners should look at the incredible demand for free Wi-Fi networking and provide residents with reliable connectivity - whether in their rooms or by the pool. Widely available, high-quality Internet access could very soon make the difference between a hugely successful season and a disastrous one. Without it, hotels risk damaging both their revenues and their reputations." The research also found that smartphones emerged as the most popular device for holidaymakers, with 91 percent of respondents taking one with them on holiday. This was followed closely by laptops and netbooks (49 percent), and tablet computers (42 percent). Coming in second only to accessing personal e-mail (when asked the primary reason for using a connected device on holiday) was accessing work e-mail. The use of social media also featured prominently in the responses, placing third. Moreover, approximately a third (32 percent) noted that they intended to stream coverage of the Olympics through their devices while on vacation, again placing immense pressure on local networks to provide sufficient bandwidth and service reliability to users. "These findings serve as a reminder that the smartphone/tablet revolution is ongoing, and that the challenges of supporting the volumes of mobile data will continue to tax the communications industry," Dweik added. "This explosion in mobile data is one of the key challenges to the industry. Mobile devices will place an increasing strain not just on Wi-Fi and mobile networks, but also on corporate and data centre networks that form the foundation of any service. These underlying networks need to be extremely robust, and designed specifically for the challenges of mobile data. With solutions that underpin more than a third of global Internet traffic, Brocade is ideally positioned to help the industry meet the needs of the modern holidaymaker." In this type of always-on business environment, the Brocade family of high-performance, scalable, cloud-optimized networking solutions offers service providers and businesses the confidence to meet the demands of the roving vacationer. These solutions help organizations deliver information and applications anywhere at any time, while bringing new levels of simplicity and manageability to the campus. – SG
