Partners sought for out-of-the-box hotspot solution 

UK-based Canova Wireless is seeking network integrators and solution providers to sell hotspot deployment packs to the hospitality segment. Hotspots are public locations that provide high-speed Wi-Fi wireless Internet access to users. These are usually airport lounges, restaurants, hotel lobbies and coffee shops.

Says Reshminder Diu, Chief Executive, Canova Wireless, “India is a market with great potential as more number of people are now aware of the Net and use it for a better part of the day. Accessibility with the assurance of security is crucial to them and this is exactly what we provide.”

Canova has several ready-to-deploy packs like the Colubris CN3000, which allows high-speed access to 1,024 concurrent users and is priced at Rs 49,600. It can be placed behind a firewall and supports multiple VPN sessions to the same VPN server. It is an ideal solution for areas frequently visited by corporate clients.

For smaller locations, there is the WSG 4000, for 54 concurrent users, and is priced at Rs 24,456. It includes a 4-port hub for connecting additional access points and supports detachable antenna, allowing external antenna to be plugged into the unit.

This covers a larger physical area without requiring multiple access points. 

Partners will get up to 21% discount on bulk purchases of 500 units or more on the products. These packs can be sold to corporates, who want to provide remote accessibility facility to its field staff. With a hotspot, users can sign-up to access the Net, which is similar to using a POP3 mail server. 

Reshminder says that Canova is seeking a partner who will explain nuances of all their products to end-customers, as user-awareness for it is low in India. “We will give all the back-end post-sales support and also help in the pre-sales finalization process. However, our partner will have to play the role of an educator to buyers,” adds he. Canova also has a 24/7 toll-free call center to deal with service issues. 

Worldwide, users have shown a growing interest for hotspots. The latest consumer reports from research analyst, Parks Associates, suggests that approximately 3% of Internet users in US have used public hotspot services. It estimates that the number of hotspot users should reach 2.5 million by 2003.

Data from Gartner Inc’s Dataquest further indicates that the majority of worldwide hotspots will be located in retail outlets (50,287) and hotels (11,687) by the end of 2003. Community hotspots are expected to grow from 5,637 in 2003 to 30,659 by 2005. 

Meanwhile, Allied Business Intelligence says in its report on Wi-Fi that global hotspots will grow from their current level of 28,000 locations to more than 2,00,000 within five years. All these figures indicate that there is a great business opportunity for network integrators in the hotspot business. 

VINITA BHATIA

MUMBAI