Access to 1,200 WiFi hotspots

·7 Oct 2013

Dimension Data South Africa and Internet Solutions (IS) have teamed up to launch Enterprise WiFi, which enables secure WiFi connectivity on multiple devices at 1,200 IS AlwaysOn Hotspots around South Africa.

“The need to cater for smart phone and tablet usage constitutes a significant, unplanned requirement for most enterprise LANs,” said Brett Steingo, Innovation and Technology Manager for Connectivity at IS.

“Enterprise WiFi is currently the only offering that provides employees with secure, seamless connectivity on multiple devices at the office, and WiFi access at any of the 1,200 IS AlwaysOn Hotspots around South Africa, all through a single profile. It also gives our customers the ability to manage users on a single interface,” said Steingo.

In addition, through AlwaysOn’s partnership with iPass, clients can access the iPass international WiFi network, comprising over a million hotspots in 110 countries.

Locally, secure access to the LAN is enabled through encrypted authentication to an organisation’s directory service, which allows employees to access the same online resources that they would have at their desks.

Enterprise WiFi also makes catering to visitor connectivity requirements, as well as additional and “unwanted” traffic on the corporate WLAN, easier and more secure by moving non-work related traffic to public infrastructure, IS said.

“By providing different layers of connectivity, a company’s guests don’t access the private network, which ensures greater security. The areas and amount of access that guests can connect with can also be customised and easily managed,” Steingo said.

As Enterprise WiFi is a managed service the burden of monitoring and managing this wireless access no longer falls to the internal IT department, thereby helping to reduce operating costs, IS said.

Enterprise WiFi accounts come with a fixed monthly cost per employee.