Hughes Network launches one-stop Wi-Fi solution

Hughes Network launches one-stop Wi-Fi solution
June 22, 2010 - Christa Hoyland

With McDonald's — and soon Starbucks — offering free Wi-Fi in their U.S. stores, providing Internet access to customers will become an expectation, especially for limited service restaurants.

Hughes Network Systems has launched its new portfolio of Hughes Wi-Fi Solutions to enable retailers and restaurateurs to provide customers with high-speed Wi-Fi Internet access using their Smartphones or laptops, while ensuring security of personal information for PCI compliance.

"Just like a clean bathroom or a short waiting time in the line (to order), it's going to become an industry norm," said Tim Tang, marketing director for Hughes Solution Group.

Restaurant operators can differentiate themselves by the level of service they provide with the free offering. For example, while it is possible for operators to see up their own wireless access, those without IT experience may find dealing with setup and customer experience issues challenging.

Built on the capabilities of the Wi-Fi scanning solution announced earlier this year, the Hughes Wi-Fi Solutions ensure secure Internet access while watching for unauthorized access points, managing customer usage and providing a foundation for interaction with mobile devices.

The solution also allows operators to provide anti-virus and anti-spam protection for customers as well as content filtering services to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere in the dining room.

Operators can improve the experience by featuring a custom branded flash page upon customers logging on. Such landing pages can function as a promotional vehicle, from highlighting a new menu item to offering a downloadable coupon or providing loyalty rewards.

"It's just another way to touch the customer and let them know of new products and new services and even a loyalty," Tang said.

Enterprise-level features

Hughes Network Systems offers a full range of broadband satellite networks and services for large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers via HughesNet. Operators do not have to implement the HughesNet broadband solution in order to deploy Hughes Wi-Fi Solutions. But using both does provide operators with a one-stop solution for troubleshooting and other service needs, Tang said.

The comprehensive offering includes equipment, installation, field maintenance, call center support, and consulting services to help customers plan, brand, and deploy the service to their specifications.

The solution also offers value-added enterprise-level features, such as businesses enterprise-grade wireless connectivity for employees to use their mobile devices to access training materials and other job-related information.

"Hughes Wi-Fi Solutions is a fully managed offering, whereby customers enjoy reliable and secure Wi-Fi access, while employees can use wireless handheld POS devices to improve customer service," said Mike Tippets, vice president, Business Solutions Group at Hughes. "In addition, we've integrated our extensive digital media experience with the Wi-Fi offering to give businesses a channel for marketing, communicating and better serving their guests."