Quiconnect

January, 2009

Quiconnect supports the FMCA & WBA to create seamless authentication and roaming standards as the use of wireless enabled consumer devices is predicted to explode

January, 2009 - Quiconnect today announces that it has been selected by the Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance (FMCA) and the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) to act as a wireless broadband integration partner to design and build a solution for global roaming as the industry moves towards simplifying and automating the login process for wireless enabled consumer devices using 802.1x authentication and EAP . To facilitate this, Quiconnect is hosting a series of new trials among 15 member companies, comprising the world's leading telecoms and mobile operators, so that 802.1x/EAP-based solutions can be tested in a pre-production environment.

In addition to the millions of laptops already in day-to-day use, according to data from research and consulting firm, Strategy Analytics, portable consumer Wi-Fi devices will grow from 65 million units sold in 2008 to 104 million devices sold by 2010 in Western Europe. These devices include: digital cameras, MP3 players, media players, games consoles, dual mode cell phones, mobile Internet devices (MIDs), netbooks, notebooks and navigation devices (PNDs).

Given this, consumers are expected to use their devices increasingly for non-voice related services such as Internet browsing and entertainment which will become a larger and larger percentage of revenue generated by service providers.

Prateek Pashine, chairman, Wireless Broadband Alliance, says, "The WBA has over the years been focusing on making Internet roaming across various technologies and networks easier for the end customer. With the proliferation of dual mode mobile and Wi-Fi smartphones and wireless devices, it is important for WBA as a leading industry body to create an ecosystem that allows consumers the ability of accessing mobile broadband services irrespective of the device form factor and whether a user wants to do this from home, a public hotspot or indeed anywhere around the world. The trial with the FMCA is all about bringing together international service providers and wireless mobile operators so that testing seamless authentication and roaming of devices can be done. This will stimulate further Internet usage, allow new applications and services to be launched and drive future revenue for our members."

Since the advent of wireless broadband roaming, much work has been done by the WBA to standardise the way users access partner's networks so that the experience is intuitive, consistent and clear in terms of how to login. However, consumers have still had to navigate web-based login pages and input credentials and so on to get access, manageable when using a laptop, but much more difficult with the new range of wireless-ready devices without keyboards, minimal displays or mice.

The trial is about taking things to the next level with the WBA and FMCA working together to prepare for the future and create a situation where all devices connect automatically.

Alan DeKok, Quiconnect's chief scientist and founder and project leader of FreeRADIUS , says, "Two key things are being addressed to achieve this. One, standardising how companies who build roaming networks share technical information between each other about which users can login, and making this an automatic not manual process. Clearly, this lowers costs, improves customer service and speed of delivery. Second, removing the need for users themselves to actually log devices in to get an Internet connection via a web page - this can now be done seamlessly using EAP/802.1x if they have an account with a specific service provider. This makes it a far simpler and move intuitive a process so connectivity becomes plug and play wherever you are."

Ultimately it means that an individual will be able to automatically connect to the Internet internationally, just like they'd do if they were logging onto their corporate or home networks, using whatever device they like via one account with their home service provider with all the inter-operator billing happening invisibly to them behind the scenes.

A variety of firms have been involved in the seamless authentication trials. Phase 1, which started in December 2006, has involved seven companies taking part (primarily FMCA members) including BT and Swisscom. Quiconnect provided interconnectivity and consultancy services so that the trial participants could assess their 802.1x-based solutions in a test environment to ensure systems interoperability and validation of their business models.

Based on the success of this, a second trial started in (add in date) which has broadened the trial to include WBA members such as Tata and Orange, along with various wholesale network aggregators. The second part of the trial also involves the first deployment of the Quiconnect-designed system that enables seamless roaming for 802.1x.

Jeff Mabe, Quiconnect's vice president, sales and marketing, says, "A third final testing phase will take place in early 2009, where we'll take all the lessons learnt from the first two trials and work with those companies interested in moving forward into a live production environment. Our role in the trial is to help all of them come together, test their networks, and test the solutions being developed. Once their solutions work, trial participants will roll out our design throughout their networks."

Quiconnect is involved with all the main industry alliances - the FMCA, WBA, WiMAX Forum and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) - to try and bring consensus among all the different parties about how best to facilitate and deliver international wireless broadband roaming.

Alan DeKok concludes, "To energise the take up of wireless broadband-based services and solutions irrespective of the end-user device, we're designing and building a global standardised solution for roaming which meets everyone's needs rather than a fragmented approach which will hinder adoption. The trials underway are enabling us to move this towards a speedy reality."

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About Quiconnect

Quiconnect is a specialist provider of systems integration and connectivity management solutions to companies wishing to make services available wirelessly over different public Wi-Fi and WiMAX networks globally. Its clients include the world's leading telecommunications companies, network operators, device and application providers.

Quiconnect solves complex integration challenges for customers so that access to public wireless broadband infrastructure is seamless irrespective of the device, application or network used. It provides unique tools, technologies and services to simplify and securely automate user connections to these public networks, along with monitoring and support tools, and financial and accounting settlement services. Headquartered in London UK, Quiconnect was founded in 2001 and has offices in France, the USA, and Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.quiconnect.com.

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