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	Issue TOC Print full article Print this page Download as PDF E-Mail this URL Discuss this article Flame the author     In this article Introduction Hotspot Players Executive Summary Hotspots and 3G: A Future Together? Just How Hot Are Hotspot Services? Dual Elements of Hotspot ROI E-Poll Results

Sure, providing users with untethered Internet and e-mail access while they sip caramel macchiatos (no foam) will enhance your popularity, but that's just a happy by-product of hotspot technology: Visitors to your physical locations will appreciate how easy it is to check in with their offices, and mobile employees will likely see productivity increases.

In other words, hotspots aren't just for coffeehouses anymore. Hotels, convention centers, fast food restaurants and cafes, airports, bookstores and even campgrounds are getting lit up. Although there are questions regarding the best provider-side business model, aggregators are wrapping extensive coverage into attractively priced and configured packages, and enterprise IT managers can buy the hardware needed to build a wireless hotspot for a couple hundred bucks. Where's the downside?

To root out the best coverage and access, we sent out an RFI asking Boingo Wireless, Deep Blue Wireless, Gric Communications, Hotspotzz, iPass, Surf and Sip, T-Mobile, Toshiba and Wayport to supply our fictitious McDonald and Seifert Engineering firm with the means to give mobile employees easy access to company resources.

Even though, as an aggregator, its pricing was on the high side, Boingo got the Editor's Choice nod thanks to its wide connectivity. We also liked its flexible rate plans and top-notch client software. Overall, we're optimistic on the future of the hotspot market and see few drawbacks to jumping in--the cost of entry is low, and payoffs can be as rich as a tall toffee-nut latte with extra whipped cream.