The latest technological buzzword you need to remember is Wi-Fi. Hotels, cafes, motorway service areas, airports and even airliners are becoming sites for wireless 'hotspots' that will allow the public to pick up their emails or log-on to the Internet without the need to find a telephone socket for their laptops.
The proliferation of wireless Internet networks, or Wi-Fi to those in the know, opens up a mass of business opportunities – particularly in the hospitality and leisure arenas. Hotspots, which transmit low-powered radio signals that can be picked up by special cards installed in laptops, are now increasingly being found in public areas.
There are a host of system providers, including the likes of BT and T-Mobile. People simply pay for access time. The big benefit for users is that Wi-Fi provides Broadband speed connection.
So far 'hotspots' provide coverage for only a limited area, but there is talk of being able to extent their range to up to three miles.
Starbucks is planning wireless networks for up to 70% of its worldwide branches, with the US, London and Berlin in the vanguard. McDonald's is also installing hotspots in London and New York. Hilton, Costa Coffee, Moto, Roadchef and Welcome Break are also set to join the fun in the UK.
Lufthansa is introducing hotpsots not just in most of its airport lounges, but on its long-haul jets too. British Airways is said to be conducting trials for a similar system.
City authorities in Paris and Adelaide are said to be committed to providing complete urban Wi-Fi coverage. New York could soon see its parks and pay-phone booths incorporating Hotspots. Westminster City council in London is a planning Wi-Fi coverage for Soho and parts of the West End, while the UK Government is looking at Wi-Fi as a solution for bringing Broadband to remoter rural areas.
The vision of coffee shops, café bars and hotel lobbies full of business people happily clicking away on their laptops could soon be a reality. Wi-Fi looks like being all pervasive.
The question for hotel, bar and restaurant operators is whether to press ahead and install their own network or wait for their local council to provide coverage? Operators should certainly find out more, but ignoring the Wi-Fi revolution is not an option.
But it is not just about providing a service for customers. Wi-Fi will change the whole scale of Internet communication making emailing as easy as mobile texting and, perhaps more importantly, making the move to the web from paper-based products even more rapid and complete – particularly when it comes to marketing materials.
So perhaps it's time for a chat with your IT people.
The proliferation of wireless Internet networks, or Wi-Fi to those in the know, opens up a mass of business opportunities – particularly in the hospitality and leisure arenas. Hotspots, which transmit low-powered radio signals that can be picked up by special cards installed in laptops, are now increasingly being found in public areas.
There are a host of system providers, including the likes of BT and T-Mobile. People simply pay for access time. The big benefit for users is that Wi-Fi provides Broadband speed connection.
So far 'hotspots' provide coverage for only a limited area, but there is talk of being able to extent their range to up to three miles.
Starbucks is planning wireless networks for up to 70% of its worldwide branches, with the US, London and Berlin in the vanguard. McDonald's is also installing hotspots in London and New York. Hilton, Costa Coffee, Moto, Roadchef and Welcome Break are also set to join the fun in the UK.
Lufthansa is introducing hotpsots not just in most of its airport lounges, but on its long-haul jets too. British Airways is said to be conducting trials for a similar system.
City authorities in Paris and Adelaide are said to be committed to providing complete urban Wi-Fi coverage. New York could soon see its parks and pay-phone booths incorporating Hotspots. Westminster City council in London is a planning Wi-Fi coverage for Soho and parts of the West End, while the UK Government is looking at Wi-Fi as a solution for bringing Broadband to remoter rural areas.
The vision of coffee shops, café bars and hotel lobbies full of business people happily clicking away on their laptops could soon be a reality. Wi-Fi looks like being all pervasive.
The question for hotel, bar and restaurant operators is whether to press ahead and install their own network or wait for their local council to provide coverage? Operators should certainly find out more, but ignoring the Wi-Fi revolution is not an option.
But it is not just about providing a service for customers. Wi-Fi will change the whole scale of Internet communication making emailing as easy as mobile texting and, perhaps more importantly, making the move to the web from paper-based products even more rapid and complete – particularly when it comes to marketing materials.
So perhaps it's time for a chat with your IT people.
