Wireless vital in Florida

Pinellas County Sheriff's Office

Many government officials have been slow to buy wireless technology because of reliability and security concerns, but it's a different story at the Sheriff's Office in Pinellas County, Fla.

County officials have installed 60 wireless access points throughout the office buildings and jails, giving users access to a wired network and voice-over-IP services.

Wireless was a matter of necessity because traditional data and voice networks couldn't reach everywhere officers traveled, said Tom Baumgartner, network administrator for the Sheriff's Office.

"It's hard to wire in every area," he said. "Even when you think you've covered everything, you've missed something.