In this article from Network World, we see an interesting example of how when marketing hype meets physics, physics generally wins until someone clever enough comes along to solve the problem.

The article provides an update from the WLAN group at Siemens, who appear to have solved a pesky problem currently slowing down adoption of 802.11n deployments. It seems that the 802.3af Power over Ethernet standard doesn't supply enough power for 802.11n access points, leading to workarounds and extra costs that have made enterprise managers think twice before deploying 802.11n equipment.

802.11n has been promoted heavily by vendors and many trade media and analysts for years, even before it was standardized. The hype frenzy might lead some people to believe that 802.11n is more important to their network than electricity. This is a pattern that is repeated over and over in our industry, and even though we're all familiar with it, it's worthwhile to take a look at it now and then.

Why do we buy into the hype? From the demand side, there's an argument that technological innovation is essential to competitiveness and productivity. This is a story that the IT departments have a high stake in maintaining, since it's pretty much essential to establishing their position as a productivity centre and not a cost centre.

From the supply side, it's obvious that demand generation for new technology drives revenue, and accelerated obsolesence drives growth. But is this a good thing, either for suppliers or customers?