STAMFORD, Conn.-The number of hot-spot users worldwide will total 30 million in 2004, up from 9.3 million users in 2003, according to research from Gartner Inc. As users increase, enterprises must implement strategies for secure access to hot spots, as well as control over the cost of that access, Gartner analysts said.
“Build a strategy for use of hot spots by employees, but beware of entering into subscription contracts with service providers that cannot supply roaming agreements to meet the enterprise’s needs,” said Ian Keene, research vice president at Gartner. “Organizations should avoid long-term contracts because this service sector is changing. Be prepared to supplement subscription contracts with pay-as-you-go hot-spot access. Companies should also put in place a mechanism to monitor hot-spot usage so that the company will know what to contract for when the market matures further.”
