Virtual Mobile Communications as a Service pioneer Norwood Systems’ new app for easily discovering and accessing Wi-Fi networks has been released on the Apple iOS App Store.
World Wi-Fi – which uses Norwood’s global federated Wi-Fi network to give users access to millions of Wi-Fi access points – is now on the iTunes App Store as a free download, with 1, 3 and 12-month paid subscriptions available to activate the auto-connect and VPN features.
It is targeted both at direct to consumer on a subscription basis, and as a potential bundled benefit for travel and other loyalty schemes, positioned to address the $50 billion global loyalty benefits market.
The App features an innovative Augmented Reality interface to help users quickly and intuitively find nearby Wi-Fi hotspots, with a clear map to give users a clear understanding of their local coverage at a glance.
Connection to the presented Wi-Fi networks is typically accomplished with only 2 clicks, with an on-demand secure VPN automatically established, using the same technology as Norwood’s World Secure product.
World Secure and World Wi-Fi have been designed to work together so that there is always a single reliable VPN connection set up for the user, even if both Apps are installed on the one device.
“I’m very excited to move World Wi-Fi out of the hands of our beta testers and into our initial public launch,” Norwood’s CEO and Founder Paul Ostergaard said.
“This is a great achievement for Norwood and has been a product of an intense and collaborative development effort by our talented engineers and our partner, Devicescape.
“World Wi-Fi marks a key milestone for the Company where all our targeted core Apps – World Phone, World Message, World Secure and now World Wi-Fi – are on one App Store for the first time.
“World Wi-Fi is a fun and beautiful App to use, delivering an amazing and intuitive interface to address the real problem of discovering, accessing and securing public Wi-Fi connections. Our team have again delivered a number of ‘firsts’ for the targeted market:
Mr Ostergaard said it was the first App that puts high-quality mapping of public Wi-Fi network coverage right into the hands of consumers “Eschewing the unattractive ‘pins in maps’ approach that other vendors use, World Wi-Fi delivers easy to understand results at all map zoom levels,” he said.
It is the first App to use Augmented Reality to help users visualise where their Wi-Fi connections are, making the job of connecting to an invisible Wi-Fi resource far more intuitive.
He added that World Wi-Fi was the first Wi-Fi App that automatically protects the users’ privacy and data through an on-demand VPN every time the user connects.
Shares in Norwood were last trading at 2.1c.