Dublin-headquartered, international Wi-Fi provider free-hotspot.com, which has 69 hotspots live in Ireland, has today reported it grew 400pc in 2007 with 2,400 hotspots deployed across 18 European countries.
Free-hotspot.com said the company’s network grew from 600 hotspots at the start of 2007 to 2,400 by the end of the year.
Free-hotspot.com, which is funded by Irish American businessman Daniel C Toomey, offers free Wi-Fi access in cafes, hotels, pubs, restaurants, retail centres and transit centres around the world.
The company’s Irish operation, which is based on Merchants Quay, works with local, multinational and national advertisers and agencies to develop online marketing programmes and initiatives intended to reach Wi-Fi users through ‘onsite’ advertising channels.
The company said that hotspot figures for Ireland alone are up 270pc, with 35 new hotspots added in hotels, restaurants and other locations around the country.
A major driver of the company’s growth was the adoption of free-hotspot.com’s Wi-Fi solution by chains of hotels, restaurants and other hospitality venues. “Larger organisations want to work with a market leader who can also add value,” the company’s vice president of business development Joe Brunoli said.
“We can not only deliver pan-European installation, support and maintenance, but also offer highly effective promotional and brand-building opportunities using our EDGE Wi-Fi messaging system.
“This unique value proposition will allow us to work with even more national, pan-European and global brands in the coming year.”
Brunoli concluded by saying the company expects to have over 5,000 hotspots installed across Western and Eastern Europe by the end of 2008.
By John Kennedy
