Q2 2020: GlobalReach Technology Wi-Fi Platform Features & Enhancements

We’re sharing a summary of the Wi-Fi platform features and updates that GlobalReach has made available throughout Q2 2020.

Support for MIST access points

Our Wi-Fi management platform can now also support MIST Wi-Fi access points.

The new integration means that we’re able to smoothly authorise subscribers onto any network using MIST. To complete the secure onboarding process, the MIST cloud platform will authorise any subscribers that have been authenticated by GlobalReach.

A reminder that the GlobalReach Wi-Fi platform also supports Ruckus, Meraki and Cisco access points.

Contact us to support your network today.

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Crowd Insights

We also added a new tool to our Wi-Fi platform features to help manage safe social distancing as offices and venues reopen after lockdown. 

Crowd Insights uses existing public Wi-Fi networks to collect anonymous location, volume, and movement data, even without user authentication. Pre-set limits identify crowding, triggering alerts to help the venue proactively manage social distancing and keep customers and staff safe. 

The tool uses data from devices and other wearables to monitor, predict, alert, and notify with real-time alerts when thresholds are breached. This helps to identify mass gatherings, traffic pinch points, queues, and over-capacity that could risk public health, and to find ways to reduce crowding before it becomes a problem.  

Find out how to support your venues or public spaces here.

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Support for WBA OpenRoaming

You’re unlikely to have missed the announcement in June that the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) now owns and manages the OpenRoaming federation initiative. This will make Wi-Fi roaming simpler to implement and operate for enterprises and operators through a framework of common industry guidelines and technical standards. 

OpenRoaming opens up public access to underutilised Wi-Fi networks at millions of brands and venues. Through the standards-based approach, operators can easily connect their subscribers (and millions of consumer and industrial devices) to these places so that visitors, guests, and passersby can get online using a secure profile on the user’s SIM card.

By joining OpenRoaming, networks benefit from under-used fibre backhaul at venues from corporate offices to shopping centres and stadia, where their customers will be able to connect automatically.

Alongside this announcement, we announced that GlobalReach is among the first Wi-Fi SaaS providers prepared to serve as an identity provider (IDP) for OpenRoaming. Our role will be to enable brands to offer seamless and secure access to users of multiple participating Wi-Fi networks.

Once configured, subscribers will be required to re-accept once the duration has passed. Once accepted access can be granted.

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