HTL Support News

Read the latest information and thinking on the world of IT Support Services.

WiFi Hotspots

WiFi Foundation Closes Down

Published in WiFi Hotspots

HTL have long since supported the WiFi Foundation as a commercial sponsor. Unfortunately the commercial reality of the relationship is not viable as an on-going concern and despite several years of successful funding the management of HTL have today decided to withdraw their funding at the end of the fiscal year. The WiFi Foundation system will close down and cease operations on 31st March.

If you are a commercial business that has a series of WiFi Hotspots we would like to discuss with you how you might be able to implement your own private network, using equipment from Airtight Networks or Cisco.  You can read more about our WiFi Solutions here.

If you requirement is a smaller scale such as a standalone restaurant or bar we would recommend calling James Dale of Purple WiFi on 0161 870 0191.

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Offer free Wi-Fi to keep customers happy

Published in WiFi Hotspots

From: http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/New-Products/Offer-free-Wi-Fi-to-keep-customers-happy

BigHospitality discovers that offering free wireless coverage on your premises is no longer a luxury – it's a necessity if you want to keep your customers happy

Wi-Fi users tend to be 'young, dynamic with plenty of disposable income'

Internet usage in restaurants is becoming ever more common. Whereas in the past it was something customers expected to pay for, with better broadband connections at home and in the office, many are now reluctant to pay exorbitant charges for wireless coverage when they're out and about.

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Drinkers want Wi-fi when they visit pubs, survey reveals

Published in WiFi Hotspots

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Trends-Reports/Drinkers-want-Wi-fi-when-they-visit-pubs-survey-reveals By Becky Paskin

A T-Mobile survey has found that almost half of Brits want to surf the net on-the-go, and have chosen the pub as their favourite location

Almost half of British consumers want to be able to use the internet wherever they go, and list pubs as one of the top locations they would like to surf the web. 

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The Advantages of Providing Free WiFi to Customers

Published in WiFi Hotspots

From http://www.ehow.com/list_6100000_advantages-providing-wifi-customers.html By Chris Joseph, eHow Contributor

As more people come to depend on their computers to make a living, the need for wireless Internet access has prompted some businesses to offer free Wi-Fi as a way to attract customers and to provide an edge over the competition. Free Wi-Fi can help build customer loyalty and keep customers in the establishment longer. An increase in business can help offset the cost of Wi-Fi installation.

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Free Wi-Fi Hotspots influence venue choice for 95% of users

Published in WiFi Hotspots

This article is  from http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/39526
by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Wednesday, October 20, 2010

WiFi Hotspot in CafeAvailability of free Wi-Fi does influence venue choice. According to In-Stat's new Wi-Fi Hotspot research, nearly two-thirds of respondents indicated that free Wi-Fi influences their choice of venue. An additional 31% indicated that free access may influence their choice, and just 5% said that it would have no influence over venue choice.

"Our research shows that while revenue may not always be directly gleaned from the hotspot offering, free Wi-Fi has a significant value in bringing customers to a venue,"says Amy Cravens, Market Analyst. "It's no wonder then that over 150 thousand cafe/retail venues have now deployed Wi-Fi hotspots, although not all of these are free. That's in addition to the tens of thousands of travel-related installations (hotels, airports, in-flight) worldwide."

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United States Government Looks to add WiFi hotspots to every federal building

Published in WiFi Hotspots

From: http://nexus404.com/Blog/2010/12/06/united-states-government-looks-to-add-wi-fi-hotspot-to-every-federal-building-bill-introduced-looks-to-drop-15-million-to-add-wi-fi-and-femtocell-to-every-federal-building/

By: Stephen Anderson

The federal government–at least that of the United States–has had some truly hair-brained ideas in its time (though really, what government hasn’t pulled the lunacy trigger from time to time?) but this one’s certainly got me thinking. A bill advanced by Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) wants to take every federal building in the United States and make it a functioning Wi-Fi hotspot.

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INC Group - London's leading restaurant chain now offer Free WiFi

Published in WiFi Hotspots

Greenwich Park Bar and GrillINC Group is a well known and popular chain of over 20 quality restaurants and bars throughout London. Their range of venues vary from fine dining to easy drinking, from quick meals to elegant corporate events.

INC Group recognised the customers' demand for Free WiFi and were also keen to attract customers during quieter times. The range of products on the market tended to be costly and offered no real tangible benefit other than the WiFi offering itself.

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Free Wi-Fi with that coffee? Why cafes are embracing an age of connectivity

Published in WiFi Hotspots

By Charles Arthur - The Guardian https://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/22/free-wi-fi-access-cafes-uk  

As Wi-Fi hotspots increase, small UK businesses are preferring to give access to smartphone and tablet users for free

More cafes and food outlets are offering free Wi-Fi to customers, bypassing the need for paid-for hotspots Photograph: Lourens Smak/Alamy

Any cafe that puts up a sign offering free goods usually does so with trepidation: what if the rush is too great and it costs more to offer than it brings in?

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Business road warriors struggle to get connected

Published in WiFi Hotspots

By Ian Hardy BBC News, Las Vegas Originally Posted: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16858088

Many business travellers would agree that going without wi-fi for any length of time is becoming more and more painful.

On the one hand we have powerful new hardware and software that fits into our pocket or briefcase but on the other hand these multi-media devices are frequently rendered almost useless thanks to inadequate quality and quantity of wi-fi networks.

Of course, there are some solutions which may or may not work for you depending on your situation, like personal wi-fi hotspots which run on cellular networks.

But certainly in America these are expensive, require contracts and come with data caps. Forget about watching movies on the go!

The cloud is only making things easier and at the same time more difficult.

Services like Sugarsync, Evernote and Zoho have given us the ability to carry documents, photographs, video and audio anywhere we go on any device.

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Can I use my router as a WiFi hotspot?

Published in WiFi Hotspots

A [Telegraph] reader asks how he might safely and legally share his WiFi connection

Originally Published in The The Telegraph  - 08 May 2012 - Rick Maybury

On my farm I have three holiday cottages where I plan to offer Wi-Fi access to guests using a router located in the building's roof. Not all guests are interested in using the Internet or checking email while on holiday, but an increasing number are so, to cover the cost of offering the service and any surcharges, which may arise due to excess downloading etc., I want to levy a nominal charge. Is it practical? Are there any snags that I should be aware of?

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