Companies, venturing to figure out a successful long-term business plan in a market that has yet to be fully defined or to produce predictable revenues, continue to precariously appear on the Wi-Fi scene.
Three-year-old AirPath Wireless Inc. believes it has a solid plan for success in the still-turbulent market. Why? “We know wireless, we know the service provider business and we know the roaming business,” said Todd Myers, the company’s chief executive officer.
AirPath’s flagship WiBOSS-short for wireless broadband OSS-management platform makes it easy for hot-spot operators to control and bill their services. AirPath’s customers range from small independent wireless Internet service providers that set up public hot spots to large wireless carriers like Sprint PCS, which has used WiBOSS in its Wi-Fi rollouts.
AirPath also offers WiBOSS Lite, a version of the solution tailored for free-access hot spots. AirPath charges its customers only licensing fees, which average $10 per month per hot spot. Both versions of WiBOSS integrate with all vendor gateways.
In addition, through the AirPath Provider Alliance, end users are able to roam among any AirPath customer hot spot. Every AirPath customer is automatically enrolled in the APA, bringing AirPath’s total network to approximately 3,000 hot-spot locations in 17 countries. The company rolls out 100 to 150 new locales each week, said Myers.
AirPath is currently ramping up marketing initiatives surrounding its roaming capabilities, according to Myers. For now, the company’s service provider customers offer links on their Web sites to the APA’s Web site, which includes a tool for end users to locate specific AirPath hot spots.
The average AirPath customer has 25 to 30 retail locations. AirPath’s service is in use in 40 airports and 500 to 600 hotels, as well as various cafes, travel centers, RV parks, marinas and in enterprises for guest access. Myers expects hotel and cafe space to represent its largest growth area in the near future and predicts solutions for Internet access for guests in enterprises to see high growth further ahead.
The company has seen rapid growth this year, including an 18-percent increase in its customer base in less than two months. Myers credits the growth to the roaming capabilities AirPath offers and the “easy-to-understand” nature of the solution.
AirPath’s roaming traffic has also picked up during the past few months. Myers said that three months ago, just 3 percent of end users took advantage of the capability, and now about 10 percent use it.
In line with its increased business, AirPath relocated its national headquarters to Waltham, Mass., from Toledo, Ohio.
“The move to the Boston area delivers a market rich with technology staff to help us build the company into the world’s leading provider of network and business management tools for the providers within the APA,” said Myers. “AirPath Wireless is now in the position to grow the APA into the largest network of hot spots, while we continue our high level of service and support to existing customers.”
In addition, the company closed a $6 million Series A Preferred Stock financing investment with Boston Millennia Partners.
