iPass Releases 2013 Wi-Fi Cost Index
Popular Report Examines Actual Total Costs of Data Usage, Wi-Fi and Mobile Broadband, and Finds That Unlimited Carrier Cellular Data Is Nearly Over
REDWOOD SHORES, CA., December 4, 2013: iPass Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS), the global Wi-Fi roaming leader for enterprises and telecom service providers, today released the iPass Wi-Fi Cost Index, which outlines the impact of unchecked mobile data roaming costs for North American and European business travelers. The yearly report details the actual total costs of connectivity for a typical international business traveler, providing valuable information for organizations seeking to reduce mobility expenses while maintaining employee productivity.
“An organization’s true mobility costs can be quite difficult to pinpoint with connectivity coming from a variety of sources,” said Kathryn Weldon, Enterprise Mobility Practice Lead at Current Analysis. “The iPass Wi-Fi Cost Index gives companies a clearer understanding of their own mobile worker scenarios and presents an optimal way to manage these highly variable connectivity costs with iPass enterprise mobile solutions.”
In today’s world, continual connectivity is critical to maximizing productivity for business travelers. In order to minimize connectivity costs, businesses need to understand the true cost of Wi-Fi. The iPass Wi-Fi Cost Index* found that actual Wi-Fi Costs are dependent on a complex variety of factors—including paid data access plans from a variety of different vendors and carriers, Wi-Fi “day passes,” and hourly session passes for Wi-Fi access at airports, hotels or cafes. Costs also vary greatly depending on where travelers are from and where they are headed. Total Wi-Fi costs depend on all of these factors—not just one.
“Today, business travelers face tremendous challenges staying connected on the road with enough bandwidth to support key business apps, such as unified communications, which are critical to productivity and directly affect the bottom line,” said Evan L. Kaplan, CEO of iPass. “The iPass Wi-Fi Cost Index is meant to be a resource for organizations to understand true mobility costs and better support the mobile workforce, whose performance drives business results.”
Among the key findings from the report:
- Unlimited cellular plans are all but over, with data caps going into effect when customers upgrade or change plans or carriers.
- While free Wi-Fi is readily available around the globe, a session usually isn’t free where business travelers need it most, particularly in hotels and airports. Many business travelers often resort to using cellular data roaming or Wi-Fi session passes to avoid slow or unreliable connections, or because of privacy and security concerns.
Access your free iPass 2013 Wi-Fi Cost Index.
About iPass Inc.:
iPass helps enterprises and telecom service providers ensure their employees and subscribers stay well connected. Founded in 1996, iPass (NASDAQ: IPAS) delivers the world’s largest commercial-grade Wi-Fi network and trusted connectivity platform. With more than 15 million” Wi-Fi hotspots across 132 countries and territories, iPass gives its customers always-on, frictionless connectivity for smartphones, tablets and laptops anywhere in the world — simply, securely and cost-effectively.
For more information, please visit: http://www.ipass.com and the iPass blog, Smarter Connections.
Find iPass on:
Twitter: @iPass: twitter.com/ipass
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ipass
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iPass® is a registered trademark of iPass Inc. Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of the WiFi Alliance. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners.
Media Contact:
US
Valerie Chan, Plat4orm PR for iPass
Tel: +1 206-856-7885
Email: valerie@plat4orm.com
Europe
Leila Hajaj, Spark Communications
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7 436 0420
Email: leila@sparkcomms.co.uk