5G is the next generation of mobile broadband, and it will eventually replace consumers’ and corporations’ 4G LTE connections. With 5G, users will see exponentially faster download and upload speeds, with drastic reductions in latency. This will open up a new world of possibilities, and it’s easy to understand why the technology is the subject of such breathless coverage in the press.

At the moment, the reality of 5G doesn’t match this hype, but that’s only because the infrastructure isn’t in place yet. Most serious industry observers predict that it will take at least a year or two for wireless carriers to build out 5G networks capable of supporting widescale use. But once that infrastructure is in place, it truly will change the world — and businesses should begin preparing today.

In my role as product manager at CDW for emerging technologies, I work with vendors that are producing some amazing new solutions. Many of these products are being taken up by emergency response and public safety organizations.

When it comes to emergency response, technologies such as drones and augmented reality (AV) and virtual reality (VR) are capable of assisting frontline workers in safely executing their tasks. Healthcare professionals and first responders can leverage those same technologies to maintain social distance and support early detection of contamination, and can also use mobile devices to stay in contact with non-urgent medical patients. Read about more use cases for emerging technologies.

When we talk about improving employee productivity through mobility, the conversation often focuses on knowledge workers who use their mobile devices and apps to get real-time information on the road, catch up on emails in airports and join video collaboration sessions from their homes and hotel rooms. But in reality, mobile devices and apps help…

Although school districts around the country are finalizing their applications for the last year in the current five-year E-rate funding cycle, the government hasn’t yet announced how the program’s funding mechanism will work going forward. E-rate, the common name for the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund, provides K–12 schools with funding…

Healthcare organizations today are under enormous pressure to not only reduce high readmission rates but also ensure the overall wellness of their patients. At least one estimate from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital calculates that more than $8 billion is spent annually on potentially preventable readmissions. What’s more, federal regulations require the Centers for Medicare…