New EMA Research Finds 59% of Enterprises are Planning Wi-Fi Infrastructure Upgrades Within the Next Year

Survey of 152 North American IT professionals shows that enterprises are seeking security and AI-driven management as they migrate to Wi-Fi 7

LAFAYETTE, Colo., Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprise Management Associates (EMA™), a leading IT research and consulting firm, has released a new research report, "Enterprises Embrace AI-Driven Wi-Fi to Meet Today's Network Demands," authored by Shamus McGillicuddy, vice president of research for network infrastructure and operations at EMA. The report examines the key drivers reshaping enterprise Wi-Fi networks and highlights how IT organizations are successfully navigating these changes.

Enterprises are changing the way they use Wi-Fi networks, and that change is kicking off a wave of infrastructure refreshes and upgrades. Fifty-nine percent of companies will initiate such a project within the next 12 months, with most of them transitioning from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7. Office mobility, increased bandwidth demand, and higher performance expectations are key factors driving investment in next-generation wireless technologies.

"The nature of work has changed, and this change has rendered legacy Wi-Fi architecture obsolete," McGillicuddy said. "End users are no longer tethered to their desks. They are mobile, which requires broader coverage and capacity for high-density connections. They are also using real-time communications applications more regularly, which drives up bandwidth consumption and elevates performance requirements."

These changes are leading IT teams to adopt AI-powered Wi-Fi 7 solutions that deliver universal zero trust network access, high-availability architecture, location-based services, and cloud-based management. EMA's research shows that organizations adopting these capabilities will experience greater overall success with Wi-Fi initiatives.

Some of the key findings from the report include:

• Only 46.7% of IT professionals report their organization's current approach to Wi-Fi networking as a complete success
• 41.4% identify rising user expectations as the top challenge in Wi-Fi management
• 67.1% cite performance requirements as the leading driver for upgrades for campus and office networks

This independent research is sponsored by Extreme Networks. 

A detailed analysis of the research findings is available in the report, "Enterprises Embrace AI-Driven Wi-Fi to Meet Today's Network Demands."

Join Shamus for a free webinar on October 21 to explore the results and what they mean for enterprise IT organizations.

About EMA
Founded in 1996, EMA is a leading IT research and consulting firm dedicated to delivering actionable insights across the evolving technology landscape. Through independent research, market analysis, and vendor evaluations, we empower organizations to make well-informed technology decisions. Our team of analysts combines practical experience with a deep understanding of industry best practices and emerging vendor solutions to help clients achieve their strategic objectives. Learn more about EMA research, analysis, and consulting services at https://www.enterprisemanagement.com and follow them on X and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Raleigh Gould
Enterprise Management Associates
303-543-9500
[email protected]

SOURCE Enterprise Management Associates