Small and medium businesses are having second thoughts about introducing wifi in the workplace because of security and network concerns, according to the latest research.

A survey of 500 businesses with between one and 250 employees by Neatgear shows that 75% think workplace wifi is now a business-critical component of working environments, while three-quarter of firms with the tech said it made them more productive.

But the study also revealed scepticism about wireless internet. Just over three in 10 respondents had considered abandoning wifi instillations because of poor connections and reliability. Meanwhile a third admitted they were worried about security implications for data.

“People quite simply work better when they can communicate, access and share information from wherever they are in the workplace,” Jonathan Hallatt, regional director for the UK, Ireland and South Africa for Netgear.

He added: “A resilient wireless network allows you to respond to guests and colleagues, and take bookings or orders using an internet-enabled device wherever you happen to be.”