Connectivity on the golf course? Fore for Wi-Fi!

According to V3 the PGA European Tour has confirmed plans to roll out high performance WiFi to all participating golf courses.  With the PGA tour visiting 52 countries and with many offering unreliable 3 or 4G networks, it was vital the PGA used wireless technology to allow for live streaming and a consistent network. 

At APC, we deploy networks across the globe from golf estates in South Africa to oil rigs in the middle of the Black Sea. In the UK, we've supplied temporary connectivity to construction sites including the Shard and connected multiple car dealerships across the country.

For most of our clients, speed of installation is key. If the client is working on a short term project the installation of a leased line connection can take several months, for APC’s wireless networks, we take the time frame down to days.

We live in information overload. Gone are the days of turning up at a tournament purely to watch the game? Now, we want to watch the game and re-stream the bits we missed while we went to get a drink. We want to upload our photos instantly whilst connecting to the local Wi-Fi and we don’t want to have to pay for the privilege.

Customers demand connectivity be that at the local store, coffee house, hotel or gig venue. The phase free Wi-Fi used to be a selling point, now, it’s expected. With celebrities taking to social networks to launch albums, show their latest photos and update their fans on their whereabouts, it’s expected that they Tweet a picture of them about to go down to the golf course or at the latest hot spot.

Installing a Wi-Fi network also allows the promoter extra revenue opening up the network to advertisers and companies within the local area. Need a hotel nearby? Here’s one with a discounted rate for those attending the golf. Something to eat, here’s the pre golf menu.  Gone are the days where we meander down the road in the hope to find a pub on the way, now we connect and find the nearest pub, download the offer voucher and book a table all from our phone or tablet, and then we tweet or Facebook to say we’re going there and how it was.

So can your business, event, golf course or coffee shop survive without Wi-Fi? Sure, but with it, it will succeed.

Free Wi-Fi at airports, browsing just got easier.

Soon the Premier Airport Network will open across 20 US airports offering its users free, yes, I said free Wi-Fi. Thanks to a deal with MediaShift, browsers will now be able to log on and utilise the free Wi-Fi. The only catch? During the consumers browsing time various paid adverts will appear.

Genius? Absolutely. What a better way to capture your target audience than when they’re cashing in on the free Wi-Fi scrolling through the social networking sites telling everyone where they’re going? Or the business men and women finishing off that last minute document using their current smart phone, cue pop up, oh look, there’s a new version and I can buy it on sale at the shop I’m about to walk in to? Again, genius.

Obviously, to the consumer the constantly stream of advertising can feel like an invasion of their privacy. But with the average traveller’s airport browsing session already at 57 minutes, the introduction of free Wi-Fi can only increase this time further.

“MediaShift provides the technology at no cost to the airports," Brendon Kensel, MediaShift's president, told Mashable. "For the first time, airports can participate in ad revenues that have traditionally eluded last mile online access providers. Airports receive incremental revenue with no start-up costs, investment or capital expenditure for airports.”

So what does this mean for companies around the selected airports? The potential to offer specific discounts, rates or offers. To promote the latest hotel or restaurant opening. Give clips of the shows, concerts and exhibitions in the city? And all while the consumer is relaxing waiting to board their flight.

For the consumer, the reduction in their data costs could mean the option to utilise the latest offer, consider the new technology the ad is talking about and even make a purchase.

They also have the capability to work at the airport. Those dead hours, waiting to board and clocking up the data charges can now be used to complete work, prepare for the next meeting and even conduct the actual meeting.

The Wi-Fi revolution is here, at the airport, on the plane itself, have airports become the new mobile office?

Wi-Fi in the air

Commuting is part and parcel of working life be this a short stroll to work for a very lucky few to the endless train or car journey to the office. For some, it may even involve hoping on a plane. One thing is for sure though, the time to and from work can be utilised to reduce the hours you have to spend in the office thanks to the addition of Wi-Fi hot spots.

For those that have to drive sadly there’s not much chance of finishing that last minute presentation but for those on public transport, the addition of Wi-Fi hot spots and connectivity has opened the gates for extra working hours.

Got to travel for business, still need to catch up on emails or send the presentation over before you land? No problem. Simply check if your flight has a Wi-Fi symbol next to it.... and you thought ordering your food choice was as complicated as it got?

You can even buy a wireless card courtesy of Go Go in-flight internet allowing you to surf till your heart’s content for a mere few dollars when pre purchased for US flights. 

Over 38% off domestic flights in the US now have Wi-Fi access which has grown from 5% to 7% per year. There is also set to be an even larger rate of increase as more company’s roll out the satellite based technology.

Now even 120 London underground tube stations also have access to the internet provided either through monthly contract with selected ISPs or a pre paid daily, weekly or monthly subscription.

But, is it worth it? Surely, when we have free internet access at work already or can pop to Starbucks or McDonalds at lunch and log on for free, are the commuter services just cashing in on our need for constant data? In one sense, yes, it does bring in extra revenue to the flight and rail services but the benefit to the customer can out way the cost.

With house prices still high in city locations despite the economic downturn, we have had to up sticks and join the waft of commuters filing onto the trains in the morning. With train journeys taking upwards of an hour, that extra time to finish documents, arrange meetings and clear down your inbox can be hugely beneficial.

Time travelling internationally used to eat into the working day, flights would be booked early to ensure the working day would not be affected but now, with on-board Wi-Fi your office can be tens of thousands of feet high in the sky and no one need be any wiser to your location.

Obviously, the time spent travelling does not have to be used for work. Catching up on the latest Apprentice episode, the news or instagram video can all be done while waiting for the train. And with many companies banning the use of social networking sites during working hours, the need to find out whose done what can be intense.

With smart phone and tablets already offering us connection via our data plans we can of course  just use our phones but there’s something alluring about turning the Wi-Fi on, the extra speed, potential cost saving when using free Wi-Fi and the capacity to send and receive higher bandwidths can be just too tempting.

So embrace the Wi-Fi revolution, log on where you can, buy the monthly cards to save you cash and of course, ensure your business has free Wi-Fi to bring in the punters. 

Just how much do we rely on WiFi and do we frequent establishments without it?

You know the drill, pop out for coffee, find table, turn WiFi on, connect to coffee shops free WiFi, save on your data and get your daily Facebook or news fix while sipping your double shot latte. But, would you stay as long as you do, order that extra coffee or pastry or even go there at all without the free WiFi?

Just this week, the tourist town of Taos in New Mexico had its major fibre optic cable severed and all connection to the town was lost. Just one hotel kept its connection, the rest of the stores, coffee shops, hotels and homes lost their connection. Mobile phone coverage went down, WiFi went off and the town grew quiet from the buzz of communication save for the old age of conversation.

Just how much do we rely on the internet, our tablets and our phones to communicate? Even birthday and Christmas cards are sent using online card companies with local high street stores facing administration. The art of looking for the perfect card is now just a click away.

We use our phones and their wireless coverage for everything from shopping to sending a simple email. Our weekly shop is stored in an app and delivered to our door, if we were to actually drive to the store, would we even know where the items we wanted were?

This may all sound negative but communication using Wi-Fi is also fundamental. We have to travel on business, using apps like Facetime or Skype allow other halves and children to maintain contact with their partner or parents. Skype bridges the gap across oceans to allow us to see our loved ones or conduct a business meeting without costly air miles. Also saving valuable green miles using the airwaves over the train, car or air travel.

Offering free Wi-Fi drives sales to your business, offering a free hot spot ensures customers stay for longer and have an added bonus of using your office, store or restaurant. We are a time poor society, gone are the long business lunch days, now it is a quick hour-long lunch as can be seen by Wolfgang Pucks hour lunch menu at Cut. Within the hour we need to socialise, secure the deal and check in to the office to ensure that last minute email arrived and the deal is done before the overseas office is closed.

Walk into an office when the internet has gone down and see the panic..... We rely so heavily on our internet connection these days, that the demand for greater bandwidth and more reliable solutions is becoming the need and driver for so many business and organisations.  

If only Taos had thought about a resilient or more reliable solution.  Could wireless backhaul be the answer?  We certainly think so!

Essex Countywide Business Awards - David Bell is the Judges Chair

As Group Sales Director, David Bell, was about to board a plane to visit the US office, Ann Quinn, from the Essex Business Awards, rung to invite David to be the 2013 Countywide Business Awards Chair of Judges. Having won Business Man of the Year at the 2011 Mid Essex Awards, David knew this opportunity was too good to miss. Allowing David the chance to review all the entries and work with the business awards team to help agree the finalists for each category, David would be an instrumental part of the judging process.

David and his fellow judges reviewed this year’s record number of entries selecting the shortlist for each category. It is then down to the judge of each category to choose the final winner.

The awards evening will be hosted by Ann Quinn and David Bell who will lead the evening and assist in presenting the awards. David will also deliver an inspirational speech at the event.

David and APC’s relationship with Essex Business Awards started when it entered and won Business Man of the Year in the 2011 Mid Essex Awards. In the same year, APC’s Technical Director Chris Lynch, was shortlisted for Business Man of the Year at the Colchester awards.  APC then went on to receive further awards success in 2012 when it was shortlisted for Business Man and Growing Business of the Year at the Colchester awards, its Technical Project Manager Lee Collis, Won Employee of the Year at the East of England Business Champions Awards and it was head sponsor of the Countywide Business Awards. APC also sponsored Business Woman of the Year at the Mid Essex Awards which saw David deliver a speech and present the award.

So are awards important to local businesses? Of course. The networking opportunities alone offer companies that may even operate within the same town the chance to meet and secure future relationships. With email, social media and video hangouts taking over the way we network and communicate, there is still no substitute for meeting someone face to face. Yes, a recommendation on a website can give you an idea of the work the company has conducted, but meeting the MD, hearing from them on a first hand basis, and meeting the people they employee will instantly give you an impression of the company.

Sponsoring awards also gives you a valuable platform to talk to a captive and relevant audience about your business. Choosing a category, you are passionate about, or which relates to your business is fundamental in achieving awards success. This will single handily allow you instant access to your peers, you can learn from their entries, their achievements and their business structure and in turn, depart your own advice from your business experiences.

David being chosen as Chair of the Judges is a huge honour for APC Solutions. Allowing David to be involved from the start, meeting and working with all of the individual category judges has given him valuable insight into Essex businesses. Working with estate agents, HR consultants and fellow MD’s, David has been given the opportunity to review all the individual entrants.

2013 has seen a record number of award entries across all categories. The strength, diversity and entrepreneurship across the county is outstanding. Essex is THE hub for business and APC is very proud to be part of it. 

The year that was 2012

What a year for team APC. With two finalist nominations and a win at the East of England Business Champions Awards, a further two finalist nominations at the Colchester Business Awards, the main corporate sponsor for the Essex Countywide Awards and finally, sponsoring the Business Woman of the Year category at the Mid Essex Awards – APC had a busy year on the business awards circuit.

At the East of England Business Champions Awards, Lee Collis, Technical Project Manager, scooped Employee of the Year and Group Sales Director; David Bell was nominated for Business person of the Year. A tremendous achievement for APC’s first year of entering these awards.

APC first established its relationship with the Essex Business Awards when David Bell won Business Man of the Year at the 2011 Mid Essex Awards. Since then APC has gone on to be nominated at further awards throughout 2011 and 2012.

The Countywide Business Awards gave APC the opportunity to raise money for a charity close to its Director David Bell’s heart, The Starlight Foundation. On the night of the awards attendees raised in excess of £2500 for the charity. A tremendous achievement and one that will benefit David’s son’s school friend, Joshua, who suffers with a brain tumour.

2012 also saw APC continue its expansion in South Africa. APC has continued to deliver wireless projects across South Africa including working for renowned wine manufacture, Rupert Wines.

In the latter part of 2012, APC started to expand its operations in to the Middle East, by collaborating with strategic partners in Qatar. The success of the partnerships allowed APC to expand its global network further, by developing a Middle East Business Team, which would continue to raise APC’s profile and secure future projects.

APC also expanded its UK based team with the addition of Nigel Cappleman, as Business Development Manager and Harry Woolmore as a Wireless Engineer. Its UK based team not only plans and deploys UK projects but also travels to the company’s satellite offices to secure new business and work closely with the territory Directors. APC believes this is fundamental to its success, having a global team that interacts and evolves the company with knowledge of all its territories.

Undertaking several high profile projects for household names including the likes of Tiptree Jams, The Harrods Group, Fulham Football Club and Poundland, APC has worked with wireless manufacturers Cambium Networks and Ruckus to deploy wireless networks across the country. 2012 also saw APC secure a wireless project for ‘The Shard’, the tallest building in Western Europe.

2012 really was a great year for APC and we look forward to a successful 2013 ahead. 

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