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A third of small and medium-sized hospitality and leisure venues have struggled to introduce an effective wireless network due to poor network reliability and data breach concerns, according to Netgear.
This is particularly worrying since the study of 150 hospitality and leisure firms also revealed that 70% believe a wireless network has become essential to the running of their business.
Over half of those surveyed (58%) believe allowing employees to move freely around the venue while staying connected to colleagues and customers improves productivity, and 85% believe it improves customer service.
Over 82% say it is how they stay competitive and a further 51% say wireless networks help staff connect to the business via a range of employee and company-owned mobile devices.
Despite this, a third (35%) had considered abandoning all plans after a bad experience with poor network quality and reliability, while 23% feared a possible data security risk. One in five (20%) were unsure how to introduce wireless into their existing IT infrastructure.
Jonathan Hallatt, regional director UK, Ireland & South Africa for Netgear, said: “With the need to stay competitive and address customer demand high on the list of priorities for small and medium-sized hospitality and leisure venues, providing both staff and customers with the means to communicate, access and share information is of vital importance.
“A resilient wireless network is a key part of this, allowing staff to respond to guests and colleagues, and take bookings or orders in a timely, secure fashion. Failure to provide wireless connectivity for visitors may mean they will spend less money while they are with you, shorten their visit and never return.”
