Globally Wi-Fi usage increased by 44% from the first half to the second half of 2006. And, according to newly published iPass Wi-Fi data, the same period registered a 74% increase in the number of European Wi-Fi access sessions initiated by the company’s global enterprise users.

The analysis, from unified enterprise mobility management specialist iPass, summarises session data collected by the company across its base of approximately 1mn quarterly users, and is designed as a tool for anyone interested in Wi-Fi connectivity trends. iPass runs a network consisting of more than 76,000 hotspots in 68 countries, and has over 3,000 business customers, including more than 350 companies in the Forbes Global 2000 list.

Following initial research into Wi-Fi usage published in August 2006 (‘iPass Witnesses Wi-Fi Momentum in Europe’) the iPass Wi-Fi Hotspot Index indicates that airports continued to be the most popular type of location for Wi-Fi connections, accounting for 49% of total sessions. Chicago O’Hare airport retained its position as the most popular global Wi-Fi hotspot location, with an average of 266 iPass sessions per day.

And anyone looking for a place to sleep where they could stay connected chose the large international hotel chains Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt. Hotels belonging to these chains were visited by over 75,000 active iPass users from July to December.

“2006 was a fantastic year for Wi-Fi hotspots with strong worldwide and European growth. User education has been a driving factor as people began to see the benefits of getting connected wherever they go. Advances in wireless technology and IT security have also enabled IT departments to roll out wireless initiatives with confidence,” comments iPass vp and EMEA managing director Doug Loewe. “It’s gotten to the point where people often choose where to stay or meet based on whether they can get reliable Wi-Fi access. Branded venues such as Marriott hotels and Starbucks cafés are proving popular with iPass customers because they know they can get connected there.”

“Wi-Fi is evolving from an ad-hoc usage method to a standard connectivity option for mobile workers. These valuable employees need to be productive when travelling either globally between cities or locally between customer appointments,” adds Joel Wachtler , iPass vp of marketing and strategy.

And in other Wi-Fi news, AT&T has announced a major expansion of its global Wi-Fi footprint for business customers, adding 13,000 hot spots around the world. At the same time, AT&T also said it had enhanced its Global Network Client - the software used by mobile workers to access their companies’ Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) - streamlining logons and adding a new level of security features from these locations and other Wi-Fi hot spots around the world.

The total global Wi-Fi service area offered by AT&T now exceeds more than 48,000 hot spots in 79 countries.

AT&T reckons mobility has become a critical component of the IT and communications framework for businesses of all sizes. The company cites Forrester Research’s finding that mobile voice and data services such as Wi-Fi access accounted for more than a quarter of North American enterprise telecommunications budgets in 2006. In Europe, the figure was even higher at 32%. Forrester also reported that up to 20% of employees at North American firms used mobile data services last year, and up to 26% of workers at global European firms used similar services to access their corporate infrastructures from outside the office.

Everything Wi-Fine and dandy then.
John Williamson