iPass Google Map Contest: Plot That!

Thursday, April 1st, 2010 Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor

iPass has been e-doodling with Google Maps for a while, and we want you to join in the fun.

This contest starts today (no, this is no April Fool’s Day joke) and ends in two weeks.

See below for contest details!

How to make your own, cool Google Map

For a while, we’ve been developing these useful Google Maps highlighting some of our favorite cities with iPass wi-fi hotspots.

Check out our Favorite Hotspots– Google Maps page – featuring our Top 10 Favorite Wi-Fi Hotspots in each of the cities listed.

They’re great to use on your mobile device when you’re on the go and in need of a fast Wi-Fi connection, while relaxing at your hotel and looking for a café to get some work done, for trip planning so you can plot out exactly where you’ll be staying and what available hotspots are around you in advance of heading out, and more.

The maps are really easy to create.  Just how easy? Read this article by our Marketing Director of EMEA & APAC, Estelle Derouet, to find out. There’s a quick video to help walk you through the process too.

Read Article >> How to Boost Your Business Using Google Maps >>

Watch Video >> How to create a personalized, annotated Google Map>>

Tales from the Road and How Google Maps Can Help

A couple of our favorite mobile workers right now are using their iPass service to fulfill a lifelong dream of traveling the world.  By purchasing a global network access subscription through iPass partner Telenet, Ine and Catherine are two road warriors working and sight-seeing their way through locations such as South Africa, Thailand and Argentina.

Keeping them company along the way are a variety of iPass hotspots ensuring they stay connected throughout their world travels. This helps them to complete crucial assignments on time (they’re paying their way to fun times along the way), update their blog and keep in touch with friends and family back home.

To help guide these two travelers from one iPass hotspot to another, they have used both our hotspot finder and created their own Google Map.

Check out the map they created for their stay in Cape Town: Cape Town Google Map >>

For more information about the Nomadz’ travels and experiences using iPass, read their blog!

Nomadz.nu Blog: Internet around the globe: iPass and TelenetConnect tested  >>
“Thanks again for your wonderful solution.  It has helped us a lot in Johannesburg and Durban (where we were apparently lucky to have a Mugg & Bean just around the corner, and an iPass-enabled hotel.”

-       Ine Dehandschutter of Nomadz.nu

Plot That! Google Map Contest

The contest is simple!

1. Create your own Google Map.

Plot at least 5 iPass hotspots in one Google Map—no limits to the number of hotspots you plot or Google Maps you create and submit

2. Post your map to our Facebook page (show off your good work and post it to your wall too!)

This step is easy, just post the URL of your Google Map to our wall.

3. You can use this format if you’d like:

URL of your Google Map

Name of Country, State or City you are Featuring:

Here’s an example:

• San Francisco:
• URL Bit.ly/giantsgame

That’s it!!

Alternatively, you could send us your suggestions for a map you’d like to see created! Post that on our wall too!

WIIFU—What’s in it for you?

Winner Receives $200 AMX Gift Card: Dazzle us with your Google mapping skills and we’ll pick our favorite map and announce it to the winners! Others can vote on the maps too, so get your friends and family to “like” your map and we’ll tally up the votes with ours!

Runners Up: We’ll select 5 Runners Up and award each a $50 Starbucks Card.

I Don’t Have Time: If you vote or send us your feedback about what maps you’d like to see us create, we’ll randomly select 20 winners to receive a $10 Starbucks card.

Good luck!

*** Contest Ends April 15^th, 2010.

Tags: hotspot, internet access, wi-fi access