In its ever-expanding reach to capture the lion’s share of the Wi-Fi market, Santa Monica, Calif.-based Boingo Wireless inked a joint marketing campaign this week with chipmaker Intel Corporationto reach the estimated 27 million business travelers that carry laptops and need wireless service on the road.
In an effort to raise awareness of nationwide Wi-Fihot spot availability through Boingo’s network of affiliates, the two companies will jointly promote Boingo’s wireless broadband Internet service and Intel’s recently launched Centrino mobile technology for notebook PCs with a wireless local-area network (WLAN).
The partnership with Boingo is part of Intel’s Wireless Verification Program, the push behind making sure that Centrino technology is compatible and interoperable with various WLAN access point devices, wireless service providers, software combinations, and hot spot areas.
Centrino integrated mobile technology was first introduced in PC notebook computers in March of this year. Centrino includes a new mobile processor, chipset and integrated WLAN capability, and according to Intel, helps extend the battery life of a PC.
Wi-Fi access is traditionally a heavy drain on a notebook’s battery power.
According to Boingo, the campaign will include joint logo endorsement or signage that will highlight certain hot spots in the Boingo network that are compatible with Centrino technology.
Boingo spokesperson Christian Gunning explained the deal with Intel as being an extension of the Boingo Ready Program, which seeks to inform wireless users that they are in a Boingo affiliate Wi-Fi hot spot area.
“This is an invisible product that we’re trying to sell,” said Gunning, referring to Wi-Fi or 802.11 hot spots or nodes that can be wirelessly tapped into from a laptop or mobile device and provide a wireless user with instantaneous Internet access at 11 megabits per second.
Hotspots are typically found in a 3-500 foot radius of space in a commercial area like a hotel, airport, restaurant, or coffee shop.
“The commitment of both Boingo and Intel is to increase the visibility of that space, make it more readily available and make people realize that it’s there, and that it has passed certification tests,” said Gunning.
The Boingo aggregated network supports hundreds of airports, hotels, cafes and hot spot locations worldwide.