Why public wi-fi hot spots don't work for executives

Craig Lowe, execMobile's MD said that the company's PocketWifi solution is much more secure because the data connection to the device is trusted (password protected) and the SIM card is known to the network.

"Wi-fi hot spots can be a serious security threat because it's very easy to spoof a wi-fi hot spot's name, which tricks people into joining the wrong hot spot. The controller of the spoofed hot spot can then access any user name and passwords entered by people into their devices while connected to the hot spot.

"And even if you're on the right hot spot, you still have to make sure your security levels on your device are up to scratch as you could be port scanned by people on the network looking for vulnerabilities in other machines on the network. Both security threats are something most companies would look to avoid," he said.

The other disadvantage for executives using a public wi-fi when travelling is that wi-fi access is not pervasive; for example, wi-fi may only be available in the hotel lobby and not in the rooms, meaning that you may have to end up working in a public place. Alternatively, a crowded coffee shop might not be the best place to work on the company budget!

The wi-fi network may also be congested if there are a number of people using the service, making it very slow to use, thereby lowering productivity levels and you may find yourself paying for time spent online and not how much data you use. PocketWifi makes it easy.

Creates a secure hot spot

execMobile's PocketWifi device circumvents these problems because it creates a secure hot spot, protected by a password, to which the business traveller can connect up to five devices.

"That means if you're travelling with colleagues or have multiple devices you want to connect to the Internet, you're able to get online without risking joining a spoofed network and your connection to the Internet is encrypted," he said.

Lowe said that BlackBerry users of the BIS and BES services may find the services are not available with a foreign SIM. However, by connecting the BlackBerry wirelessly to the PocketWifi, all BlackBerry services will continue to work, which is important given that 80% of South African corporates run BlackBerry services.

The device also makes things a lot simpler as you simply turn it on and all your devices will automatically connect, enabling you to have internet access from wherever you are, making it far more convenient than public wi-fi.

Given that 38% of corporate travellers switch off their smartphones for fear of large data bills, the PocketWifi solution gives a viable data solution and business travellers can now simply set their phones not to roam on data and leave their phones on to receive calls when needed.