iPass Joins Wi-Fi(R) Alliance to Contribute Expertise to Wi-FiCertified Passpoint Development
iPass Also Working to Establish Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) Standard for Wi-Fi(R) Networks
REDWOOD SHORES, CA, May 03, 2012 (Menafn - MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --iPass Inc. IPAS, the global Wi-Fi(R) and Wi-Fi roamingleader, today announced it has joined the Wi-Fi Alliance(R) toparticipate in development of the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint(TM)program that aims to improve the end-user experience in Wi-Fihotspots. The company also announced its support for thecomplementary Wireless Broadband Alliance, Next Generation Hotspot(NGH) effort that together with the Passpoint program will simplifyWi-Fi hotspot access.
iPass is paving the adoption of next generation Wi-Fi as a globalservice, and has published a new white paper today. 'A CarrierRoadmap for Monetizing Next Generation Wi-Fi,' outlines how NGH islikely to develop and how telecom operators should think about theevolution of Wi-Fi networks to improve subscriber satisfaction,reduce the churn rate of their premium subscribers and maximize theirroaming revenues.
"iPass strongly believes that Wi-Fi will be the only truly globalnetwork and roaming will be an essential part of the experience. NGHand Passpoint are critical to remove the friction inherent in theconnection process today and enable a much improved user experience.These initiatives speak to the core value proposition of the iPassservices fabric and we believe will add tremendous value to ouroffering. It will also accelerate adoption of Wi-Fi outside of boththe home and office environments to allow telecom providers andcontent companies to better deliver their customers richer servicesand media," said Marcio Avillez, iPass vice president of networkservices. "As iPass continues to grow and manage global Wi-Fi roamingrelationships, both our enterprise and telecom service providercustomers will benefit from our experience and core authenticationplatform; and this will enable them to benefit from next generationhotspot access points without needing to develop new back officeinfrastructure."
"Disruptive providers are already embracing Wi-Fi to improve theirofferings and reduce costs. Our policy-driven solution, iPass OpenMobile Exchange (iPass OMX), is helping these providers deliver thebenefits of global Wi-Fi access to their customers today," addedAvillez. "Supporting a move to standards will ensure the improvementand adoption of Wi-Fi services making it function more like a securecellular network."
"iPass is extremely supportive of any standardization that makes iteasier for devices to get connected to Wi-Fi. Today, connecting to aWi-Fi network can be difficult as there is little standardization inhow networks are identified and how users authenticate," said BarbaraNelson, iPass chief technology officer. "The emergence of the NGHinitiative and the Passpoint program will very importantly removefriction from the user's Wi-Fi experience. iPass enterprise andtelecom service provider customers will benefit from theseimprovements as our services will be better able to determineappropriate networks based on the customer's required policydecisions while maintaining the visibility and reporting customersrequire in today's data hungry and security conscious world."
iPass is actively involved in defining and driving industry standardsas a provider of the world's largest commercial Wi-Fi network and hasa long-standing and successful history of Wi-Fi services innovation.An early pioneer in the creation of the global broadband roamingmarket, iPass delivered the industry's first broadband roamingservice that gave business travelers simplified, high-speed andsecure remote access to their corporate networks. iPass is a boardmember of the Wireless Broadband Alliance and co-author of the WISPr1.0 protocol, a standard that defines how smart clients can accessWi-Fi networks.
Passpoint-certified equipment automates the discovery, selection andconnection to Wi-Fi networks. Like the cellular network, devices cansecurely and automatically connect with no need for users to manuallyenter usernames or passwords. The automation possible with Passpointequipment allows mobile operators, who increasingly have their own orpartner hotspot networks, to 'offload' many more users from theirbusy mobile broadband networks and features similar levels ofsecurity to the cellular network including end-to-end radio linkencryption and SIM authentication.
For more information about Next Generation Wi-Fi, see the iPass whitepaper or visit www.ipass.com
About iPass OMX iPass OMX is the leading telecom service providerWi-Fi exchange that helps to increase mobile network capacity quicklyand cost-effectively by providing carriers with access to the world'slargest commercial Wi-Fi network. Through a single interface, iPassconnects more than 140 Wi-Fi network operators with certified WISPrinteroperability in 118 countries and territories worldwide. iPass isa member of the Wi-Fi Alliance and a board member of the WirelessBroadband Alliance. Additional information about iPass Open MobileExchange is available at http://www.ipass.com
About iPass Inc. iPass helps enterprises and telecom serviceproviders ensure their employees and subscribers stay well connected.Founded in 1996, iPass IPAS delivers the world's largestcommercial-grade Wi-Fi network and trusted connectivity platform.With more than 780,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across 118 countries andterritories, iPass gives its customers always-on, frictionlessconnectivity anywhere in the world -- quickly, securely and costeffectively. Additional information is available at www.iPass.com oron Smarter Connections, the iPass blog.
iPass(R) is a registered trademark of iPass Inc. Open Mobile Exchangeand OMX are trademarks of iPass Inc. Wi-Fi(R) is a registeredtrademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other trademarks are owned bytheir respective owners.
Media Contacts:
US:
John Gallagher
iPass
Tel. 1 650 232 4233
Email: pr@ipass.com
UK:
Leila Hajaj
Spark
Tel: 44 (0)20 8392 4071
Email: leila@sparkcomms.co.uk
SOURCE: iPass
mailto:pr@ipass.com
mailto:leila@sparkcomms.co.uk
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