iPass Open Mobile for Android runs as a background application on Android OS 2.1 or higher smartphones. It notifies and connects the user when the iPass Mobile Network, which includes 20,000 free OpenAccess hotspots, corporate networks, or personal networks are within range.
Additionally, iPass Open Mobile for Android helps mobile workers simply connect to an authorised WiFi hotspot without the need to enter credentials.
According to Gartner, Android will become the number two worldwide mobile operating system this year. This is not just a consumer phenomenon. According to a recent Forrester report titled Insights for CIOs: Make Mobility Standard Business Practice, the Android platform is beginning to make inroads into businesses, with 13 percent of organisations supporting this operating system.
At the same time seamless WiFi access is essential to every smartphone user regardless of platform. In its recent Mobile Workforce Report, iPass found that nearly half of workers use WiFi on their smartphones, 31.8% because it is faster than 3G and 15.6% because it is cheaper.
“Android is well on its way to becoming a top player in the enterprise handset market,” said Craig Mathias, principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group. “And iPass is building on its position of leadership in enterprise connectivity with support for this important platform. Enterprise network managers now have a powerful new tool for managing policy and cost, and end users get the enhanced convenience and simplicity so critical to productivity.”
Said Steven Wastie, senior vice president of marketing and product management at iPass: “We are seeing growing enterprise demand to provide a client for Android devices. Enterprises want assurance that Android is enterprise-ready. They require enterprise mobility services that not only provide seamless and high performing connectivity, but also provide management and reporting capabilities like service quality metrics, 3G data usage offloading and cost controls.”