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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
iPASS SURPASSES 2,500 WI-FI HOTSPOTS AND 1,000 ETHERNET VENUES
LONDON, United Kingdom – September 23, 2003 – iPass Inc. (Nasdaq: IPAS) announced today that its Global Broadband Roaming (GBR) network for enterprise customers now includes more than 2,500 Wi-Fi hotspots and 1,000 Ethernet venues with locations in 24 countries. The iPass GBR network is focused on business-oriented locations such as airports, hotels, conference centres and other places where an increasingly mobile enterprise workforce conducts business.
“Wi-Fi’s potential for improved productivity by workers who are away from the office is significant,” said Jon Russo, vice president of marketing at iPass. “But the travelling workforce is often at work in hotel rooms, which is why iPass has worked equally hard at including Ethernet service in over 1,000 hotels in our Global Broadband Roaming footprint. While we are beginning to see the enterprise realise the compelling aspects of wireless broadband, it is equally important to fill in the gaps in availability of this still nascent technology with other connectivity options such as Ethernet, dial and ISDN.”
The GBR network is part of the iPass virtual network that includes over 20,000 access points weaved together from approximately 275 networks in over 150 countries. In addition to Wi-Fi and Ethernet service, the iPass virtual network includes dial-up, ISDN and Personal Handyphone System (a 2.5 G wireless technology in Asia). iPass delivers connectivity on its network via the award-winning iPassConnect service interface and offers enterprises secure authentication as well as centralised billing and management, and a reliable consistent connection experience.
“Our virtual network platform was built with flexibility and scalability in mind, and allows us to quickly integrate new providers into the network while enabling enterprise-ready standards for reliability, compatibility, and security,” adds Russo.
As with all iPass network providers, before becoming active in the iPass service each of the Wi-Fi service providers must be certified by iPass as Enterprise Ready by passing a rigorous testing regimen to ensure service availability as well as interoperability with policy-based security systems such as virtual private networks, personal firewalls and virus protection.
“There are a few reasons IT executives are delaying company-wide Wi-Fi adoption for their mobile employees: the lack of roaming and single-source billing arrangements, and the absence of a consistent, security-enabled connection interface,” says Robin Gareiss, Nemertes Research principal research analyst, who just finished a five-month project in which she conducted detailed interviews with 60 high-level IT executives about their Wi-Fi plans. “iPass has taken a giant step in helping companies resolve these concerns and obtain broadband remote connectivity with links to 2,500 Wi-Fi hotspots, as well as 1,000 Ethernet access points.”
In the Fall of 2000, iPass began offering the first broadband roaming service for the enterprise. Today the iPass GBR network spans 24 countries with over 2,500 Wi-Fi hotspots in 16 countries as well as over 1,000 Ethernet-enabled venues around the world. These 2,500 hotspots now active in the iPass network are a composite of Wi-Fi service offerings from 17 providers. As the company continues to build its broadband service at business-oriented venues, over 40 additional but as yet unintegrated providers with hotspots in 13 more countries also have GBR agreements in place with iPass.
About iPass
iPass Inc. (Nasdaq: IPAS) is a software-enabled virtual network operator (VNO) that provides enterprise connectivity services permitting secure access to information and applications on corporate networks from over 150 countries around the world. iPass has built a global Internet network that comprises over 20,000 access points, including an iPass Global Broadband Roaming (GBR) footprint of over 2,500 Wi-Fi hotspots and 1,000 Ethernet enabled venues at business-oriented locations such as airports, hotels and conference centers worldwide. The award-winning iPassConnect™ service interface simplifies the user connection experience and is easily deployed across multiple computing devices and operating systems. iPass service offerings also give enhanced control over security policy and connectivity management to information technology departments at iPass customers like General Motors, Dow Corning and Mellon Financial. Founded in 1996, iPass is headquartered in Redwood Shores, Calif., with offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information visit www.ipass.com.
The statements in this press release relating to the benefits to be obtained under iPass’ Wi-Fi Roaming Services are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the rate of Wi-Fi adoption which if slow would reduce the revenue opportunity for the Company; and changes associated with Wi-Fi pricing which if increased could result in a lower take rate for Wi-Fi services leading to lower demand for the services in question. Further information on potential factors that could affect the financial results of iPass are included in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in iPass' Prospectus filed on July 24, 2003, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. iPass assumes no obligations to update the information in this press release.
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