| Hotspots are pervasive in our world and there will | | | | generated on the basis of questionnaires filled in |
| be yet more of them due to the spread of | | | | on the access page by the user and may function |
| smartphones (Gartner: smartphone sales grew | | | | as a sort of market research. Thanks to the |
| 12.7% in 2009 Q1). Unfortunately, the Internet | | | | surveys completed, the owner gets to know the |
| access points are undervalued by owners of | | | | customers' preferences, which gives the |
| restaurants, galleries, etc. and they are still not | | | | opportunity to customize the offer and |
| seen as an element of competitive advantage: | | | | advertisements to the profile of a potential |
| properly managed hotspots can be a source of | | | | customer. |
| additional revenue, market research or a medium | | | | |
| to display information such as advertisements. | | | | |
| Moreover, it is possible to increase loyalty and | | | | How can revenues be increased? |
| revenue per customer via a carefully designed | | | | |
| wireless service. Such benefits can be obtained | | | | There also other possibilities of creative hotspot |
| thanks to Verax Systems' SPARK. | | | | use to encourage specific customer behavior, |
| | | | | which will bring about expected benefits to the |
| | | | | retail chains. In order to profit form hotspots it is |
| The omnipresent network | | | | not necessary to offer paid Internet access. In |
| | | | | case of complex management solutions, retail |
| Although most of the hotspots are located in | | | | chains are able to gain profits in two ways. |
| restaurants, cafés, galleries and shopping malls | | | | The direct method is obviously to sell the Internet |
| (hereinafter referred to as retail chains), they are | | | | access, where the users pay for the access with |
| increasingly available to the user in the parks or | | | | credit cards, pre-paid scratch-cards and SMS |
| city centers as more and more people nowadays | | | | according to the system operator defined tariffs. |
| are spending their time outside the schools or | | | | The second method, however, is an indirect one, |
| workplaces. They demand a permanent access to | | | | e.g. through extending the customer's visit, which |
| the Internet to receive e-mail, use communicators | | | | in turn encourages buying another product or |
| or exchange data wirelessly through the hotspots. | | | | through offering a free-of-charge access in |
| This demand will gradually increase thanks to the | | | | exchange for buying particular products or |
| growing popularity of the smartphones with WiFi, | | | | packages. |
| which are no longer phones for businessmen, but | | | | |
| become simply gadgets with an easy access to | | | | |
| the Internet. The sale of smartphones in 2009 is | | | | Solution |
| several times greater than that of standard | | | | |
| mobile phones. | | | | A hotspot management system is also a great |
| | | | | tool supporting all kinds of promotional projects or |
| Modern wireless services ensure greater security | | | | loyalty programs. In order to help effectively |
| through a variety of encryption methods and give | | | | manage hotspots in public places Verax Systems |
| the user a sense of confidence during the very | | | | has developed a business model that provides the |
| data transmission, which translates directly into | | | | possibility to determine the method of the |
| the popularity increase of the Internet access | | | | payment and Internet access to generate income |
| points. The demand of WiFi services will increase | | | | from the SPARK software. Verax Systems' |
| mainly due to the sharp growth in the mobile | | | | SPARK, which is a complex solution, gives the |
| access to the Internet, which results from | | | | ownerthe opportunity of a flexible configuration |
| aggressive marketing strategies, an increase in | | | | and system extension with all the options |
| sales of portable computers, and a fashion for | | | | mentioned below. |
| mobility, especially among young people. According | | | | The login page is a perfect place for placing ads, |
| to the Polish Office of Electronic Communications | | | | information, banners and logos - which will |
| (UKE) the growth in mobile access sales is | | | | undoubtedly generate revenues. In addition, the |
| currently very high. It is estimated that from | | | | selection of relevant advertisements which appear |
| 2010 to 2012 there will be over one million new | | | | when loadingthe websites can encourage the |
| subscribers in Poland. Mobile Internet begins to fill | | | | customer to purchase another product, and thus |
| inthe gap, which fixed network providers have | | | | extend their visit to the store. The loading of the |
| overlooked. The share of the mobile access in | | | | website is also a perfect moment to display all |
| broadband in 2012 is estimated to be approx. | | | | sorts of information, e.g. about the offer, which |
| 20%. | | | | causes that the system acquires informational |
| | | | | value in addition to the typically promotional |
| | | | | function. |
| Unexplored possibilities | | | | |
| | | | | WiFi management software has a feature of |
| In an era of great competition, attracting | | | | selling the Internet access in various forms, such |
| customers to company's products or core | | | | as scratch-card vouchers, which may also build |
| services often requires a wide array of actions, | | | | positive reactions among customers, when a free |
| particularly unconventional ones that may rivet a | | | | product or a service is possible to win. The sale of |
| customer and give them a value-added service. | | | | the Internet access is also connected with learning |
| Among these elements are the hotspots, which | | | | the consumer behavior and the customer |
| may still seem a little undervalued by the owners. | | | | preferences. We get to know when and how long |
| According to iPass research connections from | | | | an access the customer bought. The user is |
| chain stores made up 26% of total commercial | | | | asked to fill in the phone number while logging in, |
| WiFi use worldwide in 2008. However, the | | | | which will be further used to inform them about |
| hotspots continue to be only a standard attribute | | | | new promotions, products or events taking place |
| of a modern café, pub or a shopping mall, while | | | | in a different part of the shopping mall in which |
| they could play the role of a powerful marketing | | | | they are. |
| tool, ideal for building the competitive advantage. | | | | |
| In general, providing the wireless Internet service | | | | As shown in the experience of restaurant chains |
| in chain stores and its proper management | | | | managing wireless networks through adequate |
| enables businesses to benefit greatly: from | | | | systems, the Internet encourages the sales of |
| increasing the number of the customers, through | | | | additional products. In the case of a café chain |
| keeping them longer, up to significantly influencing | | | | 10% of the customers use the wireless Internet |
| the core business revenues. | | | | access. As much as 60% of them order an |
| | | | | additional product. It is worth noting, that providing |
| | | | | a reliable and fast wireless Internet access will |
| Benefiting from value-added WiFi services | | | | extend the customer's visit to that particular |
| Skillful hotspot management can bring about a | | | | place. |
| range of tangible benefits, such as the opportunity | | | | The application for efficient hotspot management |
| to differentiate from the rivals and attract a | | | | is also a perfect basis on which permanent |
| greater number of customers. It also maximizes | | | | relationships may be built. By using so popular now |
| the chance of better sales through increasing the | | | | social networking portals or communicators it can |
| customer loyalty as well as gaining additional | | | | link people sitting next to each other in a café |
| revenue. The benefits include a full customization | | | | or watching the same movie in a cinema during a |
| of the access page graphic design thanks to | | | | singles' night. It turns out that it is very easy to |
| which it is easy to achieve a consistent image | | | | find a wide array of uses for the wireless |
| of the company. | | | | network management systems. It is certain that |
| | | | | along with the development of third generation |
| Moreover, the company can obtain a great deal | | | | networks, the marketers have at their disposal |
| of needed data on the number of the customers | | | | more and more tools to reach consumers in a |
| and consumer behavior. Such reports are | | | | very different way than before. |