Wi-Fi provider iPass has launched a new range of device analytics and big data services based on its network of 62 million hotspots.
The Veri-Fi service collects more than 150 parameters, such as device location and operating system, hotspot names, locations, venue types and network performance.
The company said this information can help existing and potential customers create new kinds of services and broaden the reach of the networks to new kinds of companies, such as retailers and the hospitality industry.
The analytics service also provides heatmaps for customers to see how and where customers are connecting and disconnecting to networks, the percentage of cellular versus Wi-Fi use and quality of service. It can also deliver real-time device data, including location, type, connected hotspot, operating system and location.
iPass said this information would help network providers to optimise performance, reduce network cost and increase quality of service, as well as gain insight into consumer behaviour.
The analytics service will be used in tandem with SmartConnect, which automatically joins customers onto iPass networks.
Gary Griffiths, iPass CEO, said: “Having assembled the world’s largest Wi-Fi network, we know a lot about Wi-Fi hotspots and the devices that connect to them. Veri-Fi harnesses the data gleaned by iPass SmartConnect, re-packaging and re-purposing it to address the needs of a new set of potential customers.”