WiFi.com Blog

We have had many inquiries about our public BETA launch over the past few weeks.  We have a private BETA in play right now and based upon the feedback we are receiving it would have been a mistake for us to have launched already.  Like with any development, the process can be slow and issues which arise are often fixed, only to find other issues pop up.

We dont expect to be too far off of a public BETA launch, and those of you who have been inquiring about getting an invitation code will be included once we offer our product to the public.

We can’t set a specific date, but rest assured we will announce the public launch date within the next few days. Also, keep an eye out for new pages at WiFi.com – we recently added our support forum which is a spot for you to ask questions about our product or talk about wifi technology.  There is also a FAQ page for you to view, which will be updated from time to time.

If you have any questions, dont hesitate to shoot over to the support forum.  One of us will be glad to answer!

As our home networks integrate more and more technology we find more and more of our lives are lived and stored digitally.  Beginning with multiple computer homes, the private home network has grown to include a myriad of devices and gadgets.  Our new toys are now becoming sophisticated enough to communicate with one another and, as they should.  Now that my phone, computer, television and game console can store and display my photos, it only makes sense that personal home networking becomes more commonplace.  Photos are the perhaps only the first step but the need for easy and integrated home networking has become obvious.  In recent developments within Cisco Systems and Ruckus, your home network may be changing again.
Naomi Graychase at Wi-Fi Planet reveals Cisco Systems’ recent announcement to acquire Seattle-based networking software company Pure Networks.  Pure Networks is the provider of Network Magic, an easy-to-use home networking software tool.  Cisco Systems sees this acquisition as an important step in maintaining their juggernaut status in the networking industry.  The Network Magic software and Pure Networks geared toward OEMs, service providers and small business/home users, has a history with Cisco Systems already.  They have been partners in providing Cisco Systems’ Linksys Easy Link Advisor tool.
Why might you be interested in the new focus on home networking?  Why might you want to keep a tab on the business developments of software like Network Magic?  The numbers surrounding HDTV use and desire seem to reflect a growing demand for spiffy television and not just one set but multiple HD sets, a network if you will.

According to Ms. Graychase’s article at Wi-Fi Planet, Ruckus Wireless has released their newest MediaFlex 7000 series to satiate your HD appetite.  While your telecom company will be responsible for purchasing and implementing the MediaFlex series, it means your HDTV availability; quality, service and pricing will all change (again).  Providing more consistent service at higher bandwidth speeds hits home at the wallet and the increase in capacity on networks with multiple high-use outlets such as HDTVs is an important factor in pricing.  As David Callisch, Ruckus Wireless VP of Marketing explains, “carriers care about actual capacity, what they can actually charge for,” Ruckus Wireless is taking a pointed approach to the WiFi end-solution game.  Their focus on multimedia distribution guided the development of the MediaFlex 7000 series.  A product that is designed to do one thing and one thing well, as it’s so billed, will solve the WiFi end-solution game piece by piece.

Joe Brancatelli delves into the phenomenon of inconsistency in hotel wireless pricing. He asks why some lower end lodgers offer service free while upscale lodgers charge your firstborn. It’s an old problem in a new suit he concludes. Hoteliers must choose between charging an a la carte price (often significantly raised) or lumping their Internet costs into general room fare. The a la carte price seems to add insult to injury when upscale hotel chains are already charging a hefty fee. Assuming your clients can expense Internet fees is a dangerous game. But the flip side also has its issues. Why force guests who opt out of internet service to shoulder some of the cost? We’ve been here before and we’ll be here a while Brancatelli says, invoking memories of the past

Remember trying to use the hotel room phone? Another reason to be appreciative of mobile phones, but where is the Internet equivalent? A client that allows you to securely connect to Wifi hotspots already in place? Why, that’s what we were thinking…