Devicescape: 30% of Smartphone Users Not on Home Wi-Fi

The number of device connections to amenity Wi-Fi hotspots via Devicescape’s Curated Virtual Network (CVN) has grown by 50 percent in the last year.

Devicescape said it now manages 1.5 billion monthly consumer Wi-Fi connections via client applications provided by mobile operators and device manufacturers. Devicescape’s CVN now numbers more than 12 million individual hotspots and is expected to reach 100 million by the end of 2017.

“The fundamental logic of Devicescape’s Curated Virtual Network has been established for mobile operators, device manufacturers, hotspot owners and consumers,” said the company’s CEO, Dave Fraser. “And the logic applies whether the motivation is to ease cellular network congestion, maintain viable margins or to provide best-in-class quality of experience. Seamless access to an actively and intelligently-curated network of amenity Wi-Fi hotspots puts the consumer in touch with capacity when it’s most needed.”

Some additional developments:

• Devicescape is introducing a “Personal Curator” solution that uses the company’s intelligent network selection software to simplify initial connectivity to home Wi-Fi and maintain efficient connectivity on an ongoing basis.  The solution is aimed at smartphone users that have either never connected to the home Wi-Fi network or have inadvertently opted out by turning off their Wi-Fi radio.  The company estimates that 30% of smartphone users are not using their home Wi-Fi.
• The Personal Curator has the ability to switch the Wi-Fi radio on and off based on parameters set by the mobile operator around network conditions and usage behavior to ensure the best Quality of Experience (QoE) and conserve battery life. In addition, the software provides operators an in-depth trend analysis of subscriber usage, including cellular, private and public Wi-Fi data consumption.
• Devicescape has concluded and announced agreements with eight significant cellular operators in the North American and European markets over the last 12 months.
• Devicescape has recently signed direct agreements with both Intel and Microsoft (licensed by Verizon), which will dramatically increase the number of devices with native support for CVN connection and/or identification.
• At next week’s CTIA 2013 in Las Vegas, Devicescape is releasing a free  Android app to help users automatically connect to thousands of free Wi-Fi hotspots around Las Vegas.  If a Wi-Fi hotspot is deemed to have an insufficient signal, the user is automatically switched back to mobile data. This gives a taste of what it’s like to have the Devicescape client installed.