30 December 2016

Liquid Telecom says consumers now expect free and reliable Wi-Fi when visiting many public venues.

Businesses in Africa that want enterprise-grade Wi-Fi without the worries of procuring and managing a WLAN can now benefit from a new managed service from Liquid Telecom and GlobalReach Technology.

It’s claimed users ranging from the smallest cafes to the largest shopping malls and hotels will be able to offer Wi-Fi securely to their customers without having to incur large upfront installation costs.

According to Liquid, the partnership with UK-based GlobalReach brings the “power and scale” of a global Wi-Fi enabler into its core network and data centres, allowing its customers to benefit from the latest Wi-Fi technology deployed in-country.

The service combines connectivity from Liquid with hardware from Ruckus Wireless and GlobalReach’s cloud-based platform which provides authentication, authorisation and accounting.

It enables businesses offering Wi-Fi to their guests to connect and engage with them through customisable and branded captive portals, and tap into new commercial opportunities. 

The platform is also said to offer “comprehensive” analytics of user demographics and engagement. This will allow businesses to better understand customer behaviour, and tailor their services accordingly.

Ellie Hagopian, head of Wi-Fi strategy, Liquid Telecom, says: “Insights into customer behaviour leads to an enhanced customer experience, driving additional sales and enabling new revenue streams through proximity marketing, which in turn pays for the Wi-Fi service.”

Liquid’s existing managed Wi-Fi customers, along with its public Wi-Fi networks, will be migrated to the new GlobalReach platform over the coming months.

The new service is available for a fixed monthly fee and will be available in eight African countries: Botswana, DRC, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.