Whakatane Goes Wireless
Media Release - Dated 28th of September 2005
A completely free internet service for Whakatane café goers is now available at Ground Zero.
Whakatane business Ground Zero Café today launched a “wireless hotspot” in their popular main street café so that customers can enjoy fast internet access with their coffee. A wireless hotspot allows owners of laptop computers (with wireless capability) to surf the net and check their email while they are in the café.
While wireless hotspots in cafes are nothing new, what makes the Ground Zero Café Wireless Hotspot unique is that the service is completely free to customers; other café hotspots require customers to pay a fee for accessing the internet.
Café owners Rachel, Joel and Ian Byrne established the hotspot to add value to their already popular café service. “Our café has always been popular with business people and we thought that having wireless in the cafe would add value to our existing service. We were hesitant initially to invest in the new technology as we are completely un-internet savvy, but we hope that the hotspot will prove itself as an exciting new dimension for the cafe. The cost of setting up and operating the hotspot is less than most advertising campaigns, and we believe that our customers will enjoy being able to use the net in the café.” - Rachel Byrne.
The hotspot is a joint venture between the café and Whakatane based web site management company Klixo Limited. The manager of Klixo, Daniel Larsen, believes that the free public hotspot is the first of its kind in New Zealand. “All of the hotspot operators that we know of are currently charging for their services. I haven’t been able to find any other free public hotspots in New Zealand.”
He says that the economic value of providing a free service can be difficult to understand. “The economic thinking behind a free wireless hotspot is that the real profit from the hotspot comes from attracting new customers and having them return to the business regularly. In the long term this is more valuable to the business than any revenue that could be generated from directly charging for the service.”
“The complementary services of coffee and internet attract a professional clientele that is valuable to the operators of the café; professional clients drink more lattes and eat more lunches, often bringing clients with them.”
Total Health Centre Manager Nigel Wilson agrees. “To be able to sit in my favourite café, with all of the comforts that it provides, and great coffee of course, and to be able to surf the net and keep in touch with the office via email is amazing. It’s a no-brainer as to why I continue to come back to Ground Zero again and again.”
Daniel Larsen says the hotspot will hopefully be the first of many for Whakatane. “Ground Zero is a trial for this model and if it is successful then I hope to get the support of other local businesses to eventually roll free wireless out to the entire high street. I believe that this will put Whakatane on the map as a destination for young internet savvy professionals.”
More comments and information:
For Ground Zero Café: Rachel Byrne – 027 501 1876
For Klixo Limited: Daniel Larsen – 07 307-2660
A Young Internet Savvy Professional:
Nigel Wilson, Total Health Centre - 07 308-8267
Ground Zero Café
The Strand, Whakatane
More about the Free Public Hotspots philosophy:
http://www.publicip.net/about/phree.php
