New Wi-Fi Footprint Serves the Connection Needs of Corporate Users
LONDON — December 1, 2009 — iPass® Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS), a leading provider of enterprise mobility services, today announced a substantial expansion of its Wi-Fi® network in South Africa through a partnership with WirelessG, the country’s largest Wi-Fi hotspot aggregator. Visitors to the area will benefit from easy and secure connectivity at over 500 new hotspot locations through their iPass Mobile Office™ service. The WirelessG locations have already been integrated into iPass’ global network and are now available to employees at more than 3,500 iPass enterprise customers.
The WirelessG relationship almost doubled the number of hotspots available from iPass in South Africa to a total of 1,000 and has become part of the iPass global network spanning nearly 140,000 broadband locations in 83 countries. Key locations include the Johannesburg O.R. Thambo International Airport, Loftus Stadium in Pretoria, and hotspots in hotels from chains such as Mercure, Premier, Southern Sun, Garden Court, as well as over 200 cafés and restaurants.
“We are excited to partner with a strong front-runner in the market such as WirelessG,” said René Hendrikse, vice president, Europe at iPass. “As South Africa is hosting the World Cup next year, we wanted to prepare for the significant increase in travellers looking to connect in this region. WirelessG is a key player and this partnership reflects how the global Wi-Fi landscape is constantly developing.”
Roelof Terblans, director, business development of WirelessG, said “We are very happy to bring something new to the table following the partnership established with iPass. We are continuing to improve our users’ mobile Internet experience by going one step further to render a top quality and fast internet service.”
The partnership extends iPass’ ability to deliver affordable and secure seamless connectivity for business users in the major travel hubs around the world. iPass users are able to log onto the Internet and access critical corporate data at WirelessG hotspot locations via the iPassConnect™ mobility manager software. This helps businesses save money by avoiding the expense of Wi-Fi hotspot vouchers or international data roaming charges when connecting via 3G outside their home country. iPass’ enterprise-grade mobility management also ensures adherence to security policies and centralised control of remote access for IT departments.
Before becoming fully integrated, the WirelessG hotspot network has undergone the iPass Enterprise Ready certification process. This involves testing the hotspots for high availability as well as interoperability with policy and security tools, including a comprehensive range of virtual private networks, personal firewalls and anti-virus software packages.
About iPass Inc.
iPass helps enterprises and individuals unify the management of remote and mobile connectivity. With iPass software and services, enterprise customers can create easy-to-use wireless and broadband solutions for their mobile workers, home offices, and branch and retail locations, complete with web-based management, security validation, and unified billing. Mobile Individuals get global business-class connectivity in a simple and affordable package. iPass offerings are powered by its leading global virtual network, award-winning mobility manager software, and in-the-cloud platform. The iPass global virtual network unifies hundreds of wireless, broadband and dial-up providers in over 165 countries. Hundreds of Global 2000 companies rely on iPass services, including Ford, Nokia, and Procter and Gamble. Founded in 1996, iPass is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, with offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
About WirelessG
WirelessG is a leader in broadband technology specialising in Wi-Fi and converged services. We are proud to be the largest Hotspot aggregator in Africa and one of the top three globally. WirelessG’s Wi-Fi offers customers unparalleled and affordable global and local roaming capabilities, empowering users to connect at over 110 000 hotspots. Converged broadband technologies are available through WirelessG’s state of the art platform and include 3G/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA, DSL, WiMax and Wi-Fi. More information is available at www.wirelessg.co.za.
iPass® is a registered trademark of iPass Inc. iPassConnect™ and iPass Mobile Office™ are trademarks of iPass Inc. Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.