Tom – Longboat Mobility

It wasn’t that long ago that the only way to access the internet away from your home or office was to find a dedicated “Wifi Hotspot” such as those found in most Coffee Shops and Cafes. While these hotspots were a welcome option; they were rarely private or convenient and for the frequent user were often expensive.

Eventually Cell phone providers started offering data on an array of phones and PDAs. Again a welcome option, but there is only so much you can do on a two inch screen. Then came data cards, also referred to as connection cards or aircards. These useful devices slip into your laptops PC slot and allows you the flexibility of data service virtually everywhere you have cell phone coverage. Consequently, wireless data cards have become essential productivity tools for many mobile workers and reduce the IT hassle of setting up remote broadband connections for SOHO (small office, home office) employees. While wireless broadband speeds continue to increase, there have been compatibility issues because the laptop industry has not dictated a standard. IT purchasers have had to make sure that the embedded wireless broadband modules support the carrier they use or that the wireless data cards fit into the type of slots certain laptops have available.

Now Novatel has taken this technology forward with the introduction of the Mifi 2200 available on Sprint and Verizon Networks. This little device about the size and thickness of a few stacked credit cards is not just a connection card. It is a full blown wireless router! No need to install connection manager software on your laptop. No need to contact your IT department to get admin rights to install drivers. Just turn it on and you’re connected; and you can connect 5 devices or users at the same time. The router functionality can easily be accessed to allow others to use it, such as when traveling with a business partner. It can be left open or locked down with a password; you can even create one time access passwords.

For more information, check out this article from the New York Times Personal Tech section: Link

You can also contact us if you want to learn more about implementing or transitioning to MiFi in your workplace!