[wplug] Wi-Fi Mapping in the Press

[Doug Green]

This is not a good venue to discuss business principles or anything,  
but I totally disagree. Many businesses actually encourage the "home  
away from home" concept, trying to lure consumers to spend more time at  
their establishments. One successful example is Panera Bread. They have  
been expanding their franchise rapidly, and avidly promote the "sit and  
stay" mentality by offering cozy fireplaces, reading lamps, comfortable  
couches and free Wi-Fi. The idea is that if you spend more time, you'll  
buy more and develop patterned consumer behavior at that business.  
Eventually, you'll buy something... and as long as this is true, the  
free Wi-Fi map will continue to grow.

In a competitive business environment, free net access is a value added  
bonus to the consumer. While I'm not an expert on the costs of  
bandwidth, I'd bet that the gain in business far outweighs the cost of  
operation. Either way, free wi-fi is a good thing and we all benefit!  
:) Even established businesses that don't offer wi-fi for free will  
begin to feel the competition heating up (ex: Starbucks vs. Panera at  
locations on McKnight Road and in Oakland). In the meantime, I'm  
keeping my eyes on the ever-expanding free wi-fi map!

-Doug



On Feb 18, 2005, at 1:56 PM, Michael P. O Connor wrote:

> I know why more places don't have free Wi-Fi, because it causes money,
> and there are also probles with providing it.  If I owned a bussness I
> would not have free Wi-Fi, ya it sounds great but what about the over
> head cost, and how many people would come and not buy anything and just
> leach off the free internet, removing the tables for paying costomers,
> or lets say you have a coffee house, they come buy a coffee and sit
> there for hours just surfing the web, bandwidth is not free, untill  
> that
> day Wi-Fi will not be free everywhere.
>
>>     Hi, all, wanted to mention that Pittsburgh's own WiFiMaps.com has  
>> been
>> in the press recently, creating maps for a couple of  newpapers.
>>
>>
>> Why pay for Wi-Fi?
>> http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05038/453206.stm
>>
>>
>> Seattle's packed with Wi-Fi spots
>>
> http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/ 
> 2002183464_wifimap18.html
>>
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>>
>>
>
> -- 
> Michael P. O'Connor
> mpop at mikeoconnor.net
> http://www.mikeoconnor.net
>
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>




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