Boingo Corporate
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Christian Gunning
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First Boingo Embedded Device Reaches Market; Belkin Wi-Fi Phone Includes Boingo's Open Source Code
Belkin Wi-Fi Phone for Skype is the first mobile device to use Boingo® Embedded Wi-Fi Toolkit to enable global roaming on tens of thousands of hotspots around the world
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – December 11th, 2006 –
Boingo Wireless, Inc., the world's leading wholesale network aggregator and operator of neutral-host Wi-Fi networks, today announced that the Belkin Wi-Fi Phone for Skype is the first Wi-Fi device to ship with the Boingo Embedded Wi-Fi Toolkit, an open-source software utility that enables Wi-Fi devices to roam on commercial hotspots.
The Boingo Embedded software provides background detection, association and authentication of public Wi-Fi signals automatically, making it easy for consumers to roam onto commercial hotspots and eliminating the need to enter user ID or credit card information for each hotspot they use.
The Belkin Wi-Fi Phone for Skype incorporates familiar Skype features and can be used with either open wireless networks or commercial hotspots that are part of the Boingo Mobile service. The phone also supports WPA and WPA2 with PSK security and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi network compatibility.
"We believe that adding Boingo's roaming functionality to our Wi-Fi phone is a market differentiator," said Chris Andrews, Business Unit Manager, at Belkin. "The ability to leverage the Boingo Embedded Wi-Fi Toolkit's free open source code enables us to create a product with a compelling set of features without onerous licensing agreements or fees."
"Belkin is pioneering the first wave of portable devices that can be significantly enhanced by Wi-Fi roaming capabilities," said Jonathan Mendelson, Boingo director of handset strategy. "We expect that VoIP phones will be followed by Wi-Fi enabled mobile phones and other devices that can make use of Wi-Fi bandwidth for applications ranging from text messaging to streaming video, multi-player gaming and others."
The Boingo Embedded Toolkit is an open source solution that runs on BREW, Linux, Windows Mobile 2003 and Windows Mobile 5 versions, with support for other operating systems coming in 2007. It is designed for service providers, OEMs, ODMs, and chipset manufacturers that develop Wi-Fi equipped devices and want to enable global roaming on commercial hotspot networks. It is also available as licensed software. More information is available at www.boingo.com/embedded.
The Boingo Mobile service provides unlimited Internet access to users of Wi-Fi enabled devices that have been integrated with the Boingo Embedded Wi-Fi Toolkit. Users of those devices can access the Internet in tens of thousands of hotspots in 60 countries around the world. More information about the service is available at http://mobile.boingo.com. The service is currently only available on Belkin devices at a cost of $7.95 per month for unlimited access.
About Belkin International, Inc.
Belkin offers a diverse product mix that provides people with seamless electronics integration in their homes, cars, and on the go. Founded in California in 1983, Belkin is a privately held company and the recognized leader in connectivity solutions, in addition to accessories for MP3 devices, computers, and more. We provide extensive solutions for networking, home theater-with our PureAV® line of cables, power, and digital wireless accessories-and many more categories. You can view and purchase them at www.belkin.com, as well as through a network of major distributors, resellers, and superstores.
Belkin's phenomenal growth has led to our expanding global presence. In addition to corporate headquarters in Los Angeles, we now have offices throughout Europe-in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany, among others-and in the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, Shanghai, and our regional headquarters in Hong Kong.
About Boingo Wireless
Boingo Wireless, Inc. provides global Wi-Fi Internet access through the Boingo® Roaming System, which comprises 60,000 hotspots in airports, hotels, cafes and other public places, including metropolitan hot zones. Business travelers can use a single Boingo account to log in at Wi-Fi networks around the world using one username and password. Boingo Roaming System services can also be private labeled by telcos, wireless operators, Internet service providers (ISP) and managed service providers (MSP) as part of their own branded services for laptops, handsets and mobile devices. Through its Concourse Communications Group LLC subsidiary, Boingo operates neutral host wireless access systems that provide wireless voice and data services supporting public and commercial interests. More information about Boingo and Concourse is available at http://www.boingo.com and http://www.concoursecommunications.com.
Boingo, Boingo Wireless, and the Boingo Wireless Logo are registered trademarks of Boingo Wireless, Inc.
