Tuesday, May 14th, 2013
Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
Time to assess some new apps for your Android (new Galaxy S4?) and iPhone.
The article The First 13 Apps You Need To Download On Your New Samsung Galaxy S4 will give you ideas for your new S4 or current Android. Some “must-have” apps:
- Google Chrome: some Android phones don’t have this pre-installed
- Viber: for making phone calls over Wi-Fi. (Also for iOS)
- Feedly: to replace Google Reader
- And more…
From 18 New iPhone Apps You Need To Try, some of the apps mentioned are:
- Triage: help for your Inbox
- 24me: a personal assistant app to help you get through your to-do list
- Ketchup: manage your social life with a social app
- And more…
And while you’re at it, don’t forget about iPass Open Mobile for Android and iPass Open Mobile for iOS!
Revitalize your Android or iPhone with these apps >>
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013
Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
Today we announced our partnership with Accuris Networks, providing a solution to merge Wi-Fi and cellular network access for iOS and Android devices.
This solution using the iPass Open Mobile Exchange platform provides a seamless and secure device-based Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) for Wi-Fi roaming.
From Marcio Avilez, vice president of network services, “…market success requires a solution that will span multiple generations of Wi-Fi networks, leveraging the world’s current supply. By partnering with Accuris, we have created a solution to allow users to roam onto legacy Wi-Fi networks, helping to make Wi-Fi roaming widely available and relevant to the subscriber.”
For more information, including technical details, see our press release >>
Partnership with Accuris Networks for AAA for device Wi-Fi roaming >>
Thursday, May 2nd, 2013
Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
Business travellers may be picking flights dependent on Wi-Fi availability, yet they are not willing to pay for it, nor accept the slower speeds, in the article, Craving Wi-Fi, Preferably Free and Really Fast.
Travelers expecting Wi-Fi during travel will get frustrated. Carriers haven’t completely rolled out Wi-Fi, won’t publicize which flights have Wi-Fi, or even if the flight has Wi-Fi, it could be broken or running at very low speeds.
A new Web site, Routehappy.com, is helping travelers find out if a flight has Wi-Fi — information many airlines do not reveal until after a ticket is booked. Airlines are still rolling systems out, but complaints still come in on every system on both the quality and the cost.
And business travelers don’t seem sympathetic to the costs of inflight WiFi, not willing to pay for Wi-Fi as carriers try various payment options.
In the overall travel experience, airports and hotels are also under fire as travelers expect better quality at lower prices. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the nation’s busiest, is upgrading its infrastructure before going free. And, as we will report next, hotels are offering more Wi-Fi, but it tends to be free at the less expensive hotels.
Read the article >>
Business travelers picking flights, still complain about speed >>
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013
Brian Metzger, Sr. Marketing Mgr, Carrier Services
Consider these facts:
International travel is now at an all-time high, and poised for further growth:
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reports that international tourist arrivals exceeded 1 billion for the first time ever in 2012, equating to 3.8% year-on-year growth from 2011. Furthermore, the volume of international travel is set for robust growth again this year, with the UNWTO forecasting an increase of 3-4% in 2013. Since each international trip represents a potential roaming event, the market for international Wi-Fi roaming has never been greater.
Wi-Fi is the primary network for smartphones and tablets:
According to studies conducted by Informa Telecoms & Media in partnership with Mobidia, Wi-Fi accounts for between 65% and 85% of total smartphone-originated data traffic, depending on the device model and the subscriber’s country of residence.
International travelers are carrying multiple smartphones:
According to a recent iPass survey on international data roaming, 98% of respondents own at least one smartphone, and over one-third (33.8%) of respondents travel with two or more. High levels of smartphone adoption were recorded across all geographies, including key emerging markets such as Brazil, India and China.
And, there is a rise of Wi-Fi exclusive devices:
There has been rapid growth in the adoption and usage of Wi-Fi-only devices (such as tablets) among international travelers. According to Informa Telecoms & Media forecasts, more than 162 million tablets will be shipped in 2013, of which around three-quarters (74%) are expected to ship with Wi-Fi as the only form of connectivity.
Given all the facts above, there has been considerable momentum behind partnership-based approaches to international Wi-Fi roaming on behalf of Communication Service Providers (CSPs). This momentum can be attributed to two key market drivers:
1. Accelerate the availability of attractive international-Wi-Fi roaming services
CSPs that can bring differentiated Wi-Fi roaming propositions to market early can exploit first-mover advantage, and capture the demand that exists among international travelers for an improved roaming experience. By partnering with Wi-Fi aggregators, CSPs can accelerate the availability of new Wi-Fi offers and avoid the hefty investment inherent in a do-it-yourself approach.
2. Leverage the best practice learned from Wi-Fi aggregators
By leveraging the best practice that Wi-Fi aggregators have learned from their existing partnerships and market development, CSPs can mitigate the risk of making costly mistakes and improve their likelihood of commercializing propositions with proven market potential. The support offered to CSPs by Wi-Fi aggregators in areas such as application development, marketing strategy and proposition building form a key part of the value of a partnership-based strategy in international Wi-Fi roaming, and are important reasons why more and more partnership deals are being struck.
With over a dozen cited examples of CSPs that are in market with International Wi-Fi roaming services, along with specific insights on market strategy, commercialization models and messaging, the new iPass/Informa whitepaper, “International Wi-Fi Roaming | Winning Strategies to Construct Wi-Fi/Cellular Data-Roaming Offers for Retail Subscribers,” is a must read.
Read the press release >>
Get the report >>
Report: Strategic insights on international Wi-Fi roaming services for carriers >>
Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
Two weeks ago, American Airlines had to cancel hundreds of flights across the country due to a “computer networking problem.”
Although the problem was never disclosed, complex systems should have adequate redundancy to avoid potential outages. Scott Pedersen, senior director of architecture and technology at our iPass Managed Network Services was featured in an article on this topic by TMCNet.
“Another lesson to take from this story, according to Pedersen, is that companies need to be aware of the value of dollars spent on redundancy and testing. Some companies my feel that these types of systems would be too expensive, but, in the event of a failure, they would feel the economic burden of angry customers” who can let loose on social media, spreading the news.
Scott outlines some alternatives that go beyond relying on an SLA. This is particularly important for a company like American Airlines which is facing a merger with US Airways.
Read the full article at TMCNet >>
TMCNet article on American Airlines and the importance of redundancy >>
