Business travellers still shying away from Wi-Fi

Wireless technology not being used as much as hoped say analysts, despite increased availability

Wi-Fi has failed to attract business travellers, despite the growing availability of Wi-Fi hot spots both in transit and inside transport terminals, according to the latest report from analyst firm Gartner.

Only 25 per cent of US and 17 per cent of UK business travellers are taking advantage of the technology, Gartner’s research revealed. Users said they abstained from using the technology because of educational, cultural and financial reasons, rather than technological apprehension.

Respondents were happiest with the speed of connection, ease of use and overall value, but were least happy with the price of the services and the limited availability of hot spots in useful locations

“I think more education and awareness is needed,” said Ian Keene, vice-president of research at Gartner. “It is interesting to note that one reason why people aren’t using it is because it is against company policy. Resellers of Wi-Fi-enabled equipment need to convince businesses of the benefits and encourage them to put a Wi-Fi policy in place.

“There are lots of hotspots in the UK – more so than in any other European country – but the question is are these hotspots in the right places? They need to be clearly advertised and easy to use,” Keene said.

The limited exposure to the technology among business travellers could change as mobile devices with built-in Wi-Fi radio antennas become more widespread. Gartner has predicted that by the end of 2005, half of the laptop PCs in use will have

Wi-Fi capabilities either built-in or added using PC cards.

Steve Muttram, managing director of distributor Portable Add-ons, said: “Wi-Fi technology is becoming more available to end-users. We sell Wi-Fi-enabled PDAs and Smartphones, and customers do ask for Wi-Fi-enabled products.

“I can understand from a company point of view why businesses don’t allow staff to access Wi-Fi when they are out because of security reasons and also cost, but I think as more of these hand-held devices with Wi-Fi hit the market, we will see Wi-Fi usage increase.”