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the unique nature of the Tech Day briefings. “Due to security
considerations, network access to the Internet was not
available for anyone who was not an authorized HP user,”
Tom recalls. “This obviously caused huge problems for our
blogger guests. When we made the announcement that there
wasn’t going to be any Internet access, there were audible
groans.”
This type of security policy is quite common at large
corporations. To protect intellectual property, trade secrets
and other confidential information, IT departments typically
impose strict network/Internet access restrictions. Efforts
to work around these prohibitions require significant lead
time and non-trivial expense. Even then, work arounds are
sometimes just not possible, as was the case in this instance.
SOLUTION
Fortunately, one of the bloggers, John Obeto of Absolute
Vista, had a CradlePoint PHS300 Personal Hot Spot.
“John plugged a 3G [mobile broadband] air card into his
PHS300 and within 2 minutes he had a wireless hot spot up
and running,” says Tom. “He gave everyone a generic logon
and password and we were all connected to the Internet just
like that. I was getting email and checking the web…bloggers
were posting to their blogs...even the Intel and HP guys were
using it. It was an amazing experience. Everyone in the room
was asking: ‘Where did you get this?’ Who makes it? Where
can I get one?’”
Nick adds: “I’ve run into this problem while at Buzz Corps and
also in my previous job at Microsoft. There always seems to
be issues with getting Internet access, obtaining approvals,
securing provisioning by the IT department, etc.”
“And actually, it’s kind of embarrassing,” Tom interjects. “We
have personal relationships with these bloggers, their families
and their communities. I felt awful having to tell someone—
after they’ve just flown 14 hours from New Zealand—‘sorry,
no Internet,’ when that’s how they make their livelihood. The
CradlePoint [PHS300] really saved the day. These people are
all heavy technology users and they were really impressed.
We’re getting one for our company.”
“The cost was a pleasant surprise,” Nick continues. “If the
price was north of $600 or $700, we’d have to think about it.
But for less than $190, it’s a no-brainer. Even if we used it just
once—and we obviously will use it much more than that—[the
PHS300] will pay for itself.”
BENEFITS
“Before, if someone had an air card, they’d be the only one
with an Internet connection and everyone else would be left
out in the cold,” Tom notes. “Now, with a single air card, we
can provide Internet for attendees at our events.
Easy. “[The PHS300] was plug-and-play,” Tom reports. “It
was like one-two-three-boom! It was up and running.”
Fast. “[The PHS300] wasn’t as fast as a T-1 connection,”
notes Nick. “But with 10 bloggers, plus Tom, me and
the HP / Intel people all using it, we had pretty decent
speeds. Obviously, upload and download speeds are
more a function of the mobile broadband connection, not
the PHS300.”
Reliable. “The two days of the HP event,” reports Tom,
“we didn’t experience a single problem. Even when I
closed my laptop and it went to sleep, there were no
drops. The connection would be there when I opened my
laptop and it woke up.”
Affordable. “After investing thousands of dollars in an
event, spending a few extra dollars to ensure attendees
have Internet access is well worth it,” notes Nick. “And
we already have a mobile broadband account, so that
cost isn’t an issue.”
Tom summarized his experience with the PHS300: “We
hadn’t heard of CradlePoint before this HP event. From now
on, we’re going to have one in our arsenal. It will allow us to
always have Internet connectivity and be compliant with our
clients’ security policies. Plus it will make us look smart to
use cutting edge technology that resolves a long-standing
problem that’s pervasive and frustrating.”
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“Given the ease of use,
quality and the low cost, [the
PHS300] is a sure winner.”