WiFi Hotspot Answers, provided by a professional in the Hotspot and Network industry

Here you will find the answers to all your questions about Wi-Fi HotSpots, whether you want to find out more about using hotspots, or whether you are thinking about providing a hotspot -- including:

All these issues and more are covered on this site, together with definitions and meanings of the terminology used and the various components, hardware and software, and how they all work together to provide a secure, clean and efficient HotSpot connection

The Hotspot Business

There is no doubt that a strategically placed and well implemented Wi-Fi hotspot can be a fine addition to any business. Additionally, in some cases it could also generate an attractive level of revenue in its own right.

If you are reading this site because you are considering getting into the hotspot business, then you have come to the right place. Read on, and you will find a whole host of valuable information pertaining to running, maintaining and improving your hotspot business

What types of businesses best suit the additional of a Wi-Fi hotspot?
Obviously there are some very common forms of business venture that perfectly fit the template required for a successful hotspot business. These kinds of commercial ventures will usually be of the hospitality type, cafes, bars, restaurants, coffee shops and clubs. A little use of the imagination can find a range of other business types which may benefit from the addition of a Wi-Fi hotspot. Consider something like a supermarket, could it benefit from providing a free Wi-Fi hotspot to its clientele? Probably. For example, if the Wi-Fi hotspot was installed in a small coffee bar, people would come into the store to use the hotspot, purchase a cup of coffee, and in all likelihood think of something they needed to buy from the store, and go shopping. Applying this kind of lateral thinking to a current business may be the ideal way of deciding if it is suitable for the addition of a hotspot business.

How about business to business ventures? Are they suitable for the hotspot business?
Typically, yes, a business-to-business type of commercial operation would suit the addition of a paid hotspot service. Good examples of B2B locations which work well with a Wi-Fi hotspot would include convention centres, presentation suites, rental office complexes and any provider which is vending services directly to other commercial ventures. The difference between the B2B hotspot business and the retail hotspot business is that the Wi-Fi hotspot itself would usually not be made available for free access. Instead a charge would be levied for the use of the hotspot. This is a great way for these business-to-business type venues to boost revenue quite easily.

Are there any other ways to break into the hotspot business?
Yes, there are other ways to get into this lucrative communications trade. Possibly the most common is for a third party to set up a Wi-Fi hotspot which will be used by the customers or visitors at the client location. This allows the target business to benefit by making a Wi-Fi hotspot available to its customers, although there would normally be a nominal charge for using the hotspot. The third party hotspot provider then splits the income with the target business, with both parties turning a profit.

Another source of income is to charge for a particular URL to be accessible through what is known as a  walled garden. The walled garden facility available in intelligent hotspot software allows you to set up the splash page (the first page visible to the user) to show any sites you may want to be available. Also, the splash page can contain local advertising, for which the hotspot owner can charge a fee to an advertiser.

As we can see, the Wi-Fi hotspot business is multi-faceted, and options exist for a range of business models to take advantage of this incredible technology. The addition of a Wi-Fi hotspot, either for free access or paid usage, is bound to add value to the business and improve the customer experience. The best hotspot software will automate the whole process of setting up a hotspot, including configuring harware, such as your router. This software can also allow easy and automatic control of the whole hotspot management process -- from implementing security to controlling user bandwidth, and adding various revenue-producing options described above.

With software such as this, the business owner or entrepreneur is free to concentrate on building their business and revenue with extra services he or she can offer, whilst not having to be concerned with the technicalities.