Last week I participated in a panel at the WBA Wi-Fi Global Congress in Seoul, Korea. Other panel members included representatives from Accuris Networks, AT&T, Oi WiFi, and Strategy Analytics. We discussed how to maximize international data roaming revenue and coverage through Wi-Fi. I found the dialogue fascinating, particularly due to my familiarity with this topic; iPass specializes in providing this opportunity to mobile operators through our Open Mobile Exchange (OMX).
The global mobile computing market that the panel members work in is experiencing a period of significant change. With subscriber penetration at 100% or above in the developed world, mobile operators must target not only subscribers, but their multiple devices. The average traveler today carries 2.8 devices, and consumes increasing amounts of data due not only to the number of devices, but new apps coming to market daily. A carrier with a proposition to connect all devices, including Wi-Fi only devices, will provide valuable services that the consumer craves, and at a more affordable price. Consequently, large carriers are putting together compelling offers and propositions which will result in 2012 being the year that Wi-Fi roaming for the consumer will begin in a meaningful way.
The real jewel for a mobile operator offering an international Wi-Fi roaming proposition is to provide domestic customers with a proposition that their competitors do not offer. By differentiating with this capability, carriers are able to address the high value customers, the most critical to retain and attract. Bundling these domestic services in the right way delivers higher ARPU (average revenue per customer) and customer loyalty.
One European carrier forecasts that for every subscriber they have today in their entire base, by adding an International Wi-Fi roaming proposition they will recognize €9/subscriber per year. Extrapolating, a carrier with 10 million subscribers could potentially increase revenue by €90 million per year, a substantial amount for any company. Why wouldn’t a mobile operators take advantage of this lucrative business model?
These mobile operators are taking a big step forward by making data roaming charges easier to understand as well as setting up protection from accidentally running high mobile data bills, but the consumer is still being put on a diet when traveling abroad. Consumers are growing more dependent on their digital and connected lives and want to access the same applications and content when they travel as when they are at home. Increasingly, subscribers have become so dependent on this connection that access has migrated from a desire to a necessity, for both business and personal reasons.
There will be some carrier disrupters that will provide the consumer with this obvious benefit, and those carriers will quickly reap the benefits from these high valued customers as well as their families. A further step that will distinguish these operators from their competitors is taking advantage of services such as iPass Open Mobile Exchange. Tapping into rapidly growing global Wi-Fi availability will allow carriers to support their subscribers more cost-effectively for data hungry applications, benefiting both the consumer and the operator.
Our quarterly Mobile Workforce Report was released today and our CEO, Evan Kaplan, was on CNBC with Amanda Drury and Herb Greenberg to discuss the iPhone in the enterprise.
BlackBerry hasn’t fallen from the top spot, but the others have caught up and passed it. iPhone has taken the leadership role. BlackBerry is considered an email device, yet the others are considered “application devices.” The reporters continued to discuss mobile workers bringing in their preferred devices.
By: Steve Simms, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Tomizone
When asked to add commentary on the latest iPass Mobile Workforce Report, I was quite reflective of my own work habits and how they’ve changed over recent times. In the old days when smart phones and email connectivity away from home or work didn’t exist, I fondly remember the number of phone calls and follow up lists I’d have on me.
My mobile phone bill was always a source of amusement with the finance team because I always broke the “minutes used per month” record and my fellow workers thought I had a phone growing out of my head. Workplace accountability was as good as “your word” and via follow up email messages “when I get back to the office”.
This always caused me stress and I’d still be seen lurking in the office pounding out the follow up messages while my dinner was being missed at home. My work / life balance was terrible – all because I was tethered to a work computer at work or on dial up from home.
Fast-forward ten years and the contrast is like night and day. I remain connected to my (many) email profiles and discretely tap away replies or thoughts on the move. I spend better time with my family and friends and also observe the “email etiquette” rules so I don’t appear rude.
I’m also amazed at how much idle time there is like “waiting for friends” or “sitting on a ferry on the way to work” – time in the past that was not used efficiently for follow up or updating myself on events. I’m probably creating more work for myself but it doesn’t feel like it.
I’ve also just returned from an extensive trip in China where traditionally I’d be waiting to get back to the hotel or office to update email or stay in touch. The Data Roaming bills were horrific in the past so I constantly use my Wi-Fi connection where I can.
This is where the iPass connectivity makes it vital to connect to Wi-Fi infrastructure while on the road and it was something we took advantage of constantly on this recent trip. Wi-Fi industry folk are building networks frantically to cope with the demand for users like me that have smartphones and tablets. Having an interconnected network resource means that expensive data roaming bills could be a thing of the past as these networks grow.
The day is coming where finance departments won’t accept data roaming due to the alternatives available such as iPass. Our company has a “no data roaming” policy and unless it’s an emergency. Our data roaming bill is an annual cost equivalent to a tank of gas. Wi-Fi roaming connectivity has saved us about US$3,000 per user per year at least.
If I was to quantify productivity gains through connectivity in general, I’m sure a finance team would be doing cart wheels of delight by having the team available on-line every hour of every day. I certainly have a lot of confidence on a quick reply these days when I send a message – something that didn’t exist a decade ago.
As I look forward to the near term, I see increased demand for connectivity on the move with high-speed Wi-Fi networks. Users want to experience this connectivity like they do at home or the office and seamless Wi-Fi is growing in popularity. Wi-Fi bundles with mobile plans are becoming more prevalent as carriers look to attract customers or off-load 3G data congestion. Wi-Fi Operators have geared up to enable this seamless experience and this core offering is sure to delight users who are constantly connected.
With the rise of the iPad and other tablets, these data hungry devices have exposed a whole new market for connectivity on the road and it’s no coincidence that around 83% of respondents to the iPass Workforce Report are happy to pay for Wi-Fi connectivity or bundled Wi-Fi.
I’m also not surprised to read that personal connectivity is also a major factor driving usage while on vacation (Figure 19, Why do you connect to technology during vacation) – I personally fell victim to this when my favourite resort in Fiji became a Wi-Fi Zone which meant I could keep abreast of what was happening in the world.
So has this connectivity caused an imbalance to my work/life balance? No way! If anything, it has allowed me to take control of my time and spread my workload across my day as a manageable layer. I’m now off for a relaxing coffee at my favourite café that has Wi-Fi to update my mind on world events and tap out my new idea for a product enhancement.
In spite of recent news about the consumerization of IT, the enterprization of consumer devices/apps, and the BYOD policies being discussed recently, executives also like their mobile devices. And they bring them into the enterprise, asking IT to support them.
Many enterprises are adopting and provisioning iPhones and iPads, although our upcoming Mobile Enterprise IT Report tells of the struggle. Executives are more likely to get IT support (81% – far ahead of other roles) and yet, this it IT’s #1 headache for support. They complain first of specialized member support for “non-provisioned” devices and second of ongoing support fo personal mobile devices.
But, many executives find their iPhones indespensible. On CIO.com today, Tom Kaneshige, wrote the “15 Best iPhone Apps for Busy CEOs” – “must-have free and paid business apps that tap into the great mobile experience and keep executives productive all day long.”
OmniFocus ($20), a powerful app that keeps track of tasks by project, place, person or date, as well as notify users about upcoming deadlines.
Cisco WebEx Meeting Center app (free), so you can be in on meetings anytime, anywhere.
Roambi (free) transforms business reports and data from popular business apps into cool visual files on the iPhone. Make your work more fun!
Scanner Pro ($7) lets you scan multiple documents, make PDFs out of them, adjust the image quality, and more.
Box.net allows you to view files on your iPhone, share them via links, and sync files with your PC.
Last week I participated in a panel at the WBA Wi-Fi Global Congress in Seoul, Korea. Other panel members included representatives from Accuris Networks, AT&T, Oi WiFi, and Strategy Analytics. We discussed how to maximize international data roaming revenue and coverage through Wi-Fi. I found the dialogue fascinating, particularly due to my familiarity with this topic; iPass specializes in providing this opportunity to mobile operators through our Open Mobile Exchange (OMX).
When asked to add commentary on the latest 
