Wireless Provisioning Services to Enhance Wi-Fi

At the Telecom World 2003 conference and exhibition in Geneva, Microsoft announced an enhancement to its wireless networking service, which the company boasts will make wireless broadband access faster, more secure and easier to access.

Wireless Provisioning Services (WPS) technology helps telecommunications providers using Windows 2003 servers provision and manage Wi-Fi hotspots. On the client side, WPS provides a streamlined sign up process for users seeking wireless access.

Because WPS allows network providers to push provisioning and configuration information to mobile users of Windows XP Professional who connect to Internet services or a private networks, customers will be automatically recognized when they initiate a session. This in turn creates what Microsoft feels is a consistent experience despite any geographic disparity. Once a user is logged in, the session will be billed to his or her account.

The security of each wireless session is improved due to the automatic authentication process and encryption provided by WPS. According to Microsoft, this minimizes the chances that a user's wireless session will be hijacked by rogue access points or hackers.

Security features in WPS build upon the Windows Server 2003 framework of standards authentication methods ranging from password authentication, and certificate authentication using public key infrastructure.

On the back end, Windows Server 2003 will allow providers to manage personalized and branded services at multiple network locations. A remote user will be automatically assigned to the correct network belonging to the Wi-Fi provider based upon the provisioning information programmed in by operators. This produces what Microsoft deems "transparent and seamless roaming."

Windows Server 2003 shipped with integrated wireless components and the Redmond's Internet Authentication Service (IAS), known as RADIUS server. However, customers will have to wait until Service Pack 1 for the richer Windows Provisioning Services.

"We are excited to further extend the existing support for wireless connectivity in the Windows platform," said Jawad Khaki, Microsoft corporate vice president of Windows Networking and Communications. "WPS for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 offer a more-secure standards-based platform for Wi-Fi network providers that can reduce customer acquisition and support costs, while enabling a more-secure, branded and easy-to-use experience for all mobile users of Windows XP."

Windows Provisioning Services will be available to users of Windows XP Professional from Windows Update in the first quarter of 2004. Wireless Internet service providers and corporate IT departments can install the back-end Wireless Provisioning Architecture free of charge with Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 in the same period.