SINGAPORE, October 8, 2019 – ANTlabs has recently been granted the patent for Intelligent Mobile Data Offloading by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This patent relates to offloading mobile data on end user devices to Wi-Fi networks, and the key value proposition of this technology is to ensure that devices offloaded to the Wi-Fi network receive enough network quality for good network usage experience.
ANTlabs Chief Product Officer, Teck-Kang Toh said, “This latest patent granted is a positive affirmation of ANTlabs’ technology leadership in the Wireless Mobile and Broadband Networking space. We are committed to continual R&D to create even more cutting-edge innovation, for ANTlabs’ Carrier and Enterprise networking products.”
“This is very relevant today with many Carriers using Wi-Fi networks for mobile data offload. With the expected uptake of 5G mobile and Wi-Fi 6 networks converging even further, many of our Carrier customers can benefit from this technology to optimize and maximise their network investments,” said Kwang-Tat Ang, VP Customer Solutions for ANTlabs.
About ANTlabs
ANTlabs is a leading technology innovator for guest network
technology and services for 20 years. Established in 1999 and based in
Singapore, ANTlabs products have been used globally in hotels, airports,
telecommunications companies, stadiums and convention centers.
Media Contacts
ANTlabs Product Department
Tel: +65 6858 6789
Email: media@antlabs.com
URL: www.antlabs.com
Your VIPs and valued members can now easily gain Internet access across multiple locations (even across the globe) by just logging in once. This is made possible with the new ACS feature, Multi-Site Roaming Support. HOW MULTI-SITE ROAMING WORKS Multi-Site Roaming is an ANTlabs Cloud Services (ACS) feature that enables users to seamlessly roam from […]
It may sound like an oxymoron, but it is possible to get a private, secure, home-like network connectivity while connected to public guest networks such as those that are found in hotels, condos, dormitories, serviced suites, and co-working spaces. ANTlabs created the PAN (Personal Area Network) module for the IG 4 and SG 4 gateways for this very reason: good high-speed Internet access and privacy for each user in a guest network.
Picture this scenario: You just arrived at your hotel straight from the airport and you just want to relax by watching your saved shows on Netflix or play games on your Nintendo Switch on the Smart TV in your hotel room.
When you are
in a hotel guest network, that scenario is not usually as straightforward as sitting
down on your couch and finding your own devices in your own home network, and
then connecting these devices so they could ‘talk’ to one another. What would
most likely happen is that you would search for the SSID of the access point
(AP) where you are supposed to connect to, connect to that, and after that, you
do the same thing for your other devices, and search for the ones that you want
to connect to the Smart TV. Unlike your home network where you only see the
devices that you own, you would most likely be also shown other people’s
devices that are also connected to that AP—and that is usually a very long
list. Convenience is one thing, but
security is another very significant concern.
In the age of the IoT (Internet of Things) and digital nomads, the need for us and our personal devices to stay connected virtually everywhere is ever-increasing daily. Free, fast, and easy—that is how the ideal WiFi connectivity is for most people. How many people are there who think this way? Let’s get to the numbers.
Out of the
world’s total population of 7.676 billion, 4.388 billion are Internet users,
and 5.112 billion are unique mobile users1. That is a lot of users
and that data does not even include the other devices users own that also need
to connect to the Internet daily (i.e. IoT devices). According to Gartner’s
forecast2, the average number of users or devices supported per
deployed WLAN AP will increase by approximately 20% to 30% from 2018 through
2023. With those figures, it is even more crucial to have privacy, especially when
connected to guest networks and transferring sensitive data (e.g. personal data
or work files) over the Internet. Can hotels, serviced suites, or co-working
spaces provide that kind of privacy for each user? For service providers, is
providing each guest with private networks affordable and easy to implement?
At present, creating numerous SSIDs for each location and providing multiple Internet links for each IoT device type are the most commonly used methods for addressing these concerns but neither exactly answer privacy concerns nor are they easy and cheap to implement. Your guests can still see other devices on the network and the reality is, not all guests are Internet security-conscious enough to safeguard their own devices before connecting to public networks. A security or data breach that happens on your network is the last thing you want to happen. On top of that, the hotel staff must repeatedly adjust or create plans for Internet access provisioning especially during peak seasons or times when there are big events. The cost of training and maintenance is also added to your existing Internet service expenses.
ANTlabs, with 20 years of experience in guest network technology creation and innovation, had these concerns in mind when PAN module was created. This module allows service providers to give a multitude of users with multiple devices their own private networks, where they can manage their devices on their own during their stay, and it works well with ANTlabs’ signature 3-stage Advanced QoS. When these two modules are working together, your hotel staff’s devices, guest room IoT devices and guests’ personal devices can co-exist without sacrificing quality and user privacy. For example, you can set it in a way that with your hotel’s 10 GB pipe, each VIP gets a private network with guaranteed 1 GB bandwidth while your premium guests also get their own private network with 200 MB. Your hotel staff and offices each get a private network with 500 MB while non-staying visitors get 200 MB to share among themselves. Giving your guests peace of mind in knowing that they have their own private networks is one big plus to their total experience.
With PAN Module, there is no more need for multiple Internet links for different IoT device types and your guests shall not see other guests’ devices on your network. This is not only applicable for hotels but also for long-stay serviced apartments, dormitories, condos, shared offices, and other multi-dwelling units. PAN Module will potentially increase network security, protect your staff and guests from privacy intrusion, simplify operations support, and therefore improve the overall user experience in your hotel.
Whether you
are running a small hotel or a chain of hotels around the world, you and your
guests still want the same thing: a good experience—and to help usher in that
kind of experience calls for fast, seamless, and secure connectivity.
Related Articles:
1 WeAreSocial and HootsuiteTM (2019) ‘Essential Insights Into How People Around the World Use the Internet, Mobile Devices, Social Media, and E-Commerce’ [PowerPoint presentation]. Available at: https://datareportal.com/reports/?tag=Digital+2019 (Accessed: 7 July 2019).
2 Naresh Singh,
Christian Canales, Joe Skorupa, Evan Zeng. (2019). Forecast Analysis:
Enterprise Network Equipment, Worldwide. Connecticut: Gartner.
Singapore, June 17, 2019—ANTlabs Pte. Ltd. launches their smallest full-featured gateway yet at HITEC 2019 in Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. The IG 4110 is created for smaller properties such as boutique hotels, hostels, healthcare facilities, and small multi-dwelling units (MDU). Hoteliers and property owners can easily pick the modules that they need (e.g. Property Management System, Volume Control, Personal Area Network), and each gateway can handle up to 800 user licenses. This enables smaller properties to scale cost-effectively as they grow.
“IG 4110 is all about reduced total cost of ownership,” said Teck-Kang Toh, the Chief Product Officer of ANTlabs, at HITEC. “Good WiFi connectivity is now expected even at small hotels and this adds up to how guests perceive the quality of their stay. What we are trying to bring across is that hotel owners have the potential to offer the same connectivity as bigger hotels are able to but at a reduced cost.”
IG 4110 is now available through ANTlabs partners, worldwide and it comes with 3 years support.
About ANTlabs
ANTlabs is a leading technology innovator for guest network technology and services for 20 years. Established in 1999 and based in Singapore, ANTlabs products have been used globally in hotels, airports, telecommunications companies, stadiums and convention centers.
Media Contacts
ANTlabs Product Department
Tel: +65 6858 6789
Email: media@antlabs.com
URL: www.antlabs.com
The user form authentication method requires downstream users to fill in a form to access the Internet. There is an option to verify the identity of the user via SMS or email and gateway administrators can enable it upon setting up the form. The data collected is then presented in the web admin GUI and […]
ANTlabs Cloud Services, ever since its launch, has made global guest WiFi management easier for many huge properties in the world by allowing their venue owners to be able to configure thousands of devices, run diagnostics and view reports in one place. More features have been released to improve both guest and admin/venue owner experience while using ACS.
The following features have been recently rolled out in ACS Update #15:
ACS portals can now support multiple languages so whether you are remotely managing an overseas site and want to localize your messages, or you just want to add more ways to communicate to your guests more effectively, this feature will help make that possible for you. Admins can configure text and create user login pages in up to 10 different languages.
We added three new templates: Natural, Minimalist and Corporate. Have your login portals up in no time by selecting any of the available templates in ACS, or easily make custom pages that adheres to your brand. Deploying the same portal design across a large number of sites? No problem. ACS can let you duplicate a site across multiple venues.
New Real-Time Downloadable Reports Tracking the progress of your guest Internet revenue is made easier with the new downloadable reports. These three new reports can be found under Reports and Analytics:
These are just three of the many features to be explored in ACS. Login to your ACS account now to try these out. Interested in ANTlabs Cloud Services? Email us to know more about ACS.
One thing that every service provider aims for is to exceed customer expectations. Customers are now more demanding and they know that they have more options available to them, so it has become paramount for establishments to dig deeper on what they think might work to keep them from running to their competitors. This is one of the reasons why free WiFi is as omnipresent as coffee shops are in metropolitan areas—it serves to attract and retain customers in the area.
For service providers, each day in service delivery is unique, therefore one must anticipate what customers need (or probably appreciate) and be ready for any eventuality so solving problems would be quick and smooth. Relevant customer insights equip you with the knowledge of who your customers are, what they like, why they go to your establishments, and what might be the reasons that will make them stay or come back.
Providing reliable WiFi connectivity to your guests (whether you offer it for free or not) while gaining unique, user-verified data about them is what the User Form Authentication feature enables you to do—and it is without incurring additional cost that usually comes with customization. With user form authentication, you can collect information you want from the customers themselves.
The user form authentication method requires downstream users to fill in a form to access the Internet. There is an option to verify the identity of the user via SMS or email and gateway administrators can enable it upon setting up the form. The data collected is then presented in the web admin GUI and sent to ANTlabs Cloud Service (ACS) if the gateway is connected to ACS, where further analytics and presentation can be viewed.
Forms are good for collecting information, but here’s the catch: people are hesitant to give out information, especially when they feel that you are asking too much or make them think too much for replies for each field. It is therefore ideal to have a simple form that is not daunting for first time users to fill up. The sign-up process must be as quick and painless as possible. A well design form encourages good WiFi sign-up rate. Here are some best practices to consider when designing your establishment’s authentication form:
Set your goals and identify what data required to achieve these goals. Only ask what is required. Eliminating unnecessary fields increases sign up rate.
The ANTlabs authentication form provides the flexibility to select from the default fields and create up to 5 custom fields. Thus, enabling businesses to collect unique bespoke data to meet your business goals.
With the drag and drop capability, related fields can be grouped together logically from a user perspective.
It’s highly recommended to avoid optional fields. However, if required, you should uncheck the box in the mandatory column. All mandatory fields will an asterisk (*) beside their labels.
Data validation process (email / SMS) can be easily enabled in the form. This feature not only facilitates data protection but also reduces the cost to handle invalid customer data.
The welcome page is an excellent platform to connect with your users and showcase your brand. Multiple templates available to give you a quick head start, while you can focus to create your own unique brand experience. Customizable areas include: logo, background image, promotional web banners, color and font settings.
You will need your user to agree with the terms and conditions to use your WiFi. This will spell out where your business’ liability ends in a situation when there is a security breach. If a user engages in illegal activity in your network, your business shall be protected from the repercussions of said activity.
You can easily enable CAPTCHA in your form to capture only relevant information from humans. However, do note that it may affect the sign-up rate as users can get frustrated after one or two failed attempts.
Randomly request some of your colleagues to go through the form you created. Their feedback will give you an idea if your form is effective or easy to use.
Houston, TX – ANTlabs, a leading Internet business enabler, is at HITEC Houston to exhibit new product features and give a quick glimpse of a new, upcoming product. This four-day event on June 18-21, 2018 gathers top-notch industry leaders, experts, and key people in the hospitality industry, and is held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas USA.
This year, ANTlabs brings InnMobile ‘Hotel WiFi on-the-go’ on the table—a new service delivery platform to allow guests to easily stay connected everywhere. Hotel guests may bring along this device whenever they go outside the hotel premises and they shall get the same hotel WiFi experience they have. Aside from InnMobile, some other highlights this year for ANTlabs products are differentiated WiFi experience for rewards club members, and seamless roaming/re-login for VIPs.
In line with the company’s focus on increasing guest loyalty while reducing cost through HSIA, a tutorial session entitled “Transforming HSIA for Your Next-Gen Guest” will be conducted by Don West, the National Channel Manager of MTS Inc. This will be on Wednesday, June 20, 11:15 AM-11:45 AM.
ANTlabs booth can easily be found near the entrance of the convention center at Booth #1513 (Map).
Contact sales@antlabs.com for more details.
SG 4 Update #21 This hotfix re-enables TLS 1.0 support to fix the issue of Account Printer AP 2100 not connecting to the gateway. Note: this hotfix does not require reboot. SG4 TLS hotfix Update 21 Update File Name: 21.SG4000_base-sys-hotfix-tls-20180412-01.pkg Update File Size (bytes):11816 md5: edcc705775863bda249999a85d890b62 Release Date in Epoch Time: 1524218400 (2018-04-20 18:00) SG […]
This update adds the following enhancements: New wechat social network authentication HTTPS web server upgrade for enhanced security Disable TLS 1.0 for PCI compliance Note: TLS 1.0 shall be re-enabled in a subsequent update in order to fix the issue of Account Printer AP 2100 not connecting to the gateway. Address the following security vulnerabilities: […]