NetMotion to provide mobile VPN to Cox: Deal highlights new cable focus

Mobile software developer NetMotion Wireless is touting another customer win this week, unveiling a deal to deploy its mobile virtual private network with cable behemoth Cox Communications.
The nation’s third-largest cable operator said 3,500 field service technicians are using the technology, which is designed to increase productivity for on-the-go workers. The VPN allows laptops to “sniff” for the most efficient network connection available, and enables applications to continue running even when connectivity is lost.
“Whichever network is the fastest, our software picks that network,” said Tom Johnston, NetMotion’s senior vice president of products and marketing. “It also allows I.T. personnel to set rules for each network” by prioritizing applications and allowing only the most important software to take up bandwidth on limited networks such as 2.5G cellular systems.
The Cox deal underscores a concerted effort from NetMotion to move into the cable industry after making substantial headway into other vertical markets that rely on on-the-go workers. The 6-year-old, Seattle-based outfit claims to serve 180,000 mobile staffers from clients such as the Los Angeles Police Department, Continental Airlines, Atlanta Gas Light and New York Presbyterian Hospital.