A quick walking tour told the story: For all the businesses that offer free WiFi, there are many more that do not. Why? Maybe it is the perceived complexity and expense of creating a customer hotspot. Perhaps, the business owner is unaware of the huge benefits made possible by offering enhanced free WiFi in their shop, restaurant or office.
Cloud4Wi’s mission is to improve free WiFi, making it a valuable engagement and analytics tool for the businesses that offer it. We already do that at more than 15,000 locations in more than 80 countries. Those are, however, enterprise customers, typically having hundreds or even thousands of WiFi hotspots connected to our cloud-based platform.
That is great for big companies. But, what about the business that has only one location? There has not – until now – been a feature-rich, easy-to-install solution designed specifically for them.
Beyond free WiFi
Cloud4Wi’s new “Fog” is a service package, including access point hardware, which provides more than just free WiFi. It includes a customizable portal that welcomes customers, requests social media profile information, and may offer coupons and specials. It also creates a profile for every WiFi device it “sees” whether the user logs in or not. This gives the business new insight into customer behavior and foot traffic.
Fog has three major functions:
Connect – Fog makes it easy for devices to connect to the Internet at the business’s location. Customers may be allowed to simply click and login. Most businesses, however, will ask for an email address or social media login to access free WiFi. These login options make it easy for the business to build a customer marketing list. The social login provides additional customer demographic information as well.
Analyze – Fog gathers valuable presence information about customers. When they shop, how long they stay, how often they return. Fog does this for customers who actually login and for anonymous WiFi devices that the access point merely “sees.” This information is used with other data, such a purchases, to develop customer-specific strategies.
Promote – Fog enables businesses to drive customers’ path to purchase. They can offer specials and coupons to their customers on the welcome portal, while they are onsite, and/or by email, during or after their visit.
Fog addresses the huge market of businesses that would benefit from the enhanced free WiFi but have not been able to purchase it until now. Many do not realize that smarter free WiFi is even available to very small businesses or the benefits it can provide.
Fog is easy for businesses to understand. Fog is plug-and-play without requiring any configuration. Businesses just plug it into their Internet connection and start offering free WiFi. Fog is easy-to-use. Businesses can use Fog Mobile App to customize their free WiFi and design their business strategies in real time using only a smartphone.
A big opportunity for carriers
Fog offers carriers the ability to expand their services portfolio with compelling guest WiFi management services that require low touch and post-sales support. Fog also provides carriers with an upsell opportunity for existing customers, with a consequent increase of the average revenue per user. Fog enables carriers to target new customers with a service that does not require a change of their Internet connection. Carriers can also personalize their WiFi managed services by fully customizing the Fog package and matching the feel and look of their brand.
For carriers that want to engage customers more often – and more profitably – offering our Fog package is the opportunity.
Cloud4Wi Fog is an exciting new offering for businesses, carriers and, of course, for us.
We would be happy to show it to you during the Telecom Council Summit (September 30th and October 1st at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA). Come visit us!
For more information, contact us.
