Press Release
iPass Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS), the leading provider of global mobile connectivity, today announced that Bezeq, Israel’s largest and leading telecoms group, has deployed and is using the iPass SmartConnect™ Software Development Kit (SDK) to bring global Wi-Fi to its customers.
Bezeq launched Bezeq Free Wi-Fi in 2012, setting out to provide customers with free and unlimited internet access away from the home. The service has since grown to cover 700,000 commercial and community hotspots across Israel. Working with iPass’ local partner Oranus, Bezeq has used the iPass SDK to enhance its Bezeq Free app (available on iOS and Android) to provide its customers with simple and secure access to millions of hotspots worldwide. Since its official launch in late September 2016, the updated Bezeq Free app has already been downloaded more than 60,000 times.
The partnership has also seen Bezeq’s Wi-Fi footprint integrated into the iPass global network, meaning that existing iPass customers will now be able to stay connected while travelling in Israel.
“As an innovator in the Israeli telecoms market, we see Wi-Fi as an important part of our business strategy. Providing Wi-Fi connectivity beyond the home offers significant added value to our customers,” said Gil Rosen, VP Marketing and Innovation at Bezeq. “The combination of the iPass SDK and the great technical support provided by Oranus has allowed us to quickly bring a truly differentiated service to the Israeli market. Through Bezeq Free Wi-Fi, our customers can enjoy truly global connectivity.
“Our partnership with Bezeq and Oranus is a fantastic example of how the iPass SDK can enable service providers to quickly tap into the benefits of global Wi-Fi,” said Mato Petrusic, vice president EMEA & APAC at iPass. “At a time when customer acquisition and retention is high on the agenda for many service providers, global Wi-Fi can significantly enhance their service offerings.”
"We see this milestone as a great achievement," said Oren Sheffy, CEO of Oranus Group. "We are very proud to lead this integration between two great and innovative companies – Bezeq and iPass. We also see this as a breakthrough on the implementation of Wi-Fi and the value it can create to service providers, app developers and other ventures that see Wi-Fi and connectivity as a service they want to provide their users."
