ipass

ALSO NOTED: Ericsson to spend $25M on R&D; iPass partners with Aircell for in-flight WiFi; and much more...

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:59:51 -0400

> Ericsson announced it would increase investments in research and development and spend some $25 billion during the next five years on new technologies and software. Article

> iPass partnered with Aircell for in-flight WiFi. Release

> Sprint Nextel's largest independent affiliate, iPCS announced that three of its subsidiaries are suing Sprint Nextel over its recent deal with Clearwire. Release

> Camera memory card can tag location info using WiFi Article

iPass moves into consumer market

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:59:53 -0400

iPass announced today that it is moving into the consumer market. The company, whose core business is providing wireless connectivity services to the enterprise market, announced the availability of iPassConnect mobility service for individuals. The service enables business people and consumers to buy a subscription-based service, which was previously reserved for enterprises, directly from iPass.

"We had consumers ask how they could get our service," said Piero DePaoli, director of global product marketing. "Looking through our statistics, WiFi hotspots are great but very destination oriented. 3G services are up and coming and work well in big cities, but once you leave the big city, you get downgraded to slower speeds. And if you travel internationally, the moment you leave the country you're paying big fees."

The iPassConnect mobility service offers subscribers unlimited access to more than 95,000 WiFi hotspots as well as 3G service across the U.S. for a fixed monthly fee.

iPass is taking a conservative approach to the consumer market, viewing it as a niche part of its business, but as DePaoli said: "Consumerization is a huge trend and could become very powerful for us."

For more about iPass' consumer offering:
- check out this release

Related articles:
- iPass breaks 40,000 WiFi hotspot barrier in Europe Report
- 3G usage offers a business case for 4G Editorial

ALSO NOTED: Wi-Fi Alliance announced more than 4,000 WiFi-certified devices; iPass announces 90,000 hotspot locations worldwide

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:59:51 -0500

> The Wi-Fi Alliance today announced that more than 4,000 products have been WiFi certified since the testing program began in March of 2000. Release

> iPass said its WiFi hotspot network comprises 90,000 locations worldwide. Release

And Finally... Kyocera announced that iZZinet has deployed a network of 50 iBurst base stations in Kuala Lumpur. Article

ALSO NOTED: Extend WiFi network range; iPass partners with T-Mobile; and much more...

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> Want to extend the range of your WiFi network? Advice

> Mentor Graphics released its Nucleus 802.11i software to developers requiring IEEE 802.11i, WPA-2 and WPA support in wireless Ethernet applications. Release

> iPass will partner with T-Mobile to incorporate T-Mobile's and T-Com's European WiFi hotspot networks into the iPass Global Broadband Roaming network. More than 800,000 quarterly iPass users will benefit from access to more than 8,000 new locations in Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, Austria and the Czech Republic. Report

> 5V Technologies has licensed HelloSoft's VoIP Software solution for SOHO Gateways, IP Phones and VoWLAN SoC designs. Release

> The Bluetooth SIG has selected the WiMedia Alliance multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing version of UWB for integration with current Bluetooth wireless technology. Release

> WiFi asset tags are expected to reach almost 2 million shipments in 2010, according to market research firm In-Stat. Report

And Finally... TI, Motorola and others develop new handsets for a reason: Telecom Trends International reports that the number of mobile handsets shipped will increase from 815.2 million units in 2005 to 1,694.4 million units in 2012. Release

Kiwi telecom, iPass ink secure network deal

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 19:01:37 -0500

This is important news for business travelers and the companies which employ them. Telecom New Zealand has signed an agreement with iPass to launch Telecom Office Anywhere, a service which would allow users to access their company networks and files securely from New Zealand and more than 160 countries. Telecom Office Anywhere provides users with access to their company networks and applications from their PC or laptop anyway they wish by using WiFi, broadband or dial-up on Telecom's 3G network in New Zealand and Australia and selected mobile data cards overseas.

As far as we can tell, this may well be the first secure solution which spans all of Telecom's available access technologies, provides a global footprint and enables single log-in to company networks. The Telecom Connection Manager is the interface which connects users to their company's network. Users follow a single secure log-in process. Available WiFi and mobile data networks are automatically presented to the user for wireless access.

For more on this global roaming service:
- see information at Telecom New Zealand's Web site

Analysis: Will 802.16 e be the end of WiFi

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 19:01:36 -0500

Several analysts suggest that the approval two weeks ago of the IEEE 802.16e standard (mobile WiMax) would offer WiFi a stiff challenge. About 90 percent of laptops are now delivered with built-in support for WiFi wireless; the technology has been adopted in enterprises and the home; and the number of public WiFi hotspots continues to grow. Will the emergence of Mobile WiMax spell the end of this growing acceptance of WiFi?

impasse's CTO Roy Alberts believes that technologies such as mobile WiMax will be competitive with WiFi but that they will not replace hotspots. IPass has just passed the milestone of having 35,000 hotspots. Albert says mobile broadband is a bit late to the wireless party--and he says that 2009 is a more realistic date for the technology becoming widely available than the 2007 date some WiMax advocates suggest. He also emphasizes: "Between now and then, a significant number of mesh Wi-Fi networks will be deployed.... The broader question is if WiMax will be able to compete economically due to the costs of acquiring spectrum and rights of way if metro area WiFi is already established and fairly ubiquitous," Albert claimed.

The same living side-by-side Albert sees for WiFi and mobile WiMax, others see for mobile WiMax and 3G. They argue that as mobile broadband becomes just another available option, users will not have to decide which network technology is right for them. Rather, laptops and handhelds equipped with, say, WiFi, WiMax, 3G, and dial-up would create what Albert calls the "best available network" experience, as the device unobtrusively will choose which network to connect to as the user moves about. Jeff Orr, Proxim Wireless' senior product marketing manager, agrees. "Mobile WiMax won't kill WiFi," Orr predicts. Like Albert, Orr believes mobile WiMax will be just another option, similar to how computers ship with 56K modems, Centrino WiFi, and Ethernet ports.

For more on mobile WiMax
-read Ed Sutherland's commsdesigns analysis