Microsoft Expands Productivity Portfolio with Microsoft WiFi

As soon as Satya Nadella took the helm of the Microsoft juggernaut, he has driven the vision of a “Mobile First, Cloud First” company, that empowers all to do more.

“We want to be the productivity platform company in a mobile first, cloud first world”. Satya Nadella, Ignite Conference May 2015

This emphasis on productivity continues with the reconfiguring of the Skype WiFi service into a more comprehensive global service called, Microsoft WiFi.

“In order to be productive, our employees need to be connected. In a world where the workforce is increasingly mobile, people need connectivity on the go to close a sale, to sign a contract, to share, and collaborate. If your company invests on great tools such as Microsoft Office and cloud solutions to make information flow across the organization, you should enable your employees to make the most of it when they are on the go.” Microsoft

Realizing that enterprise workers are increasingly becoming mobile, Microsoft WiFi allows users to easily connect to over 10 Million global hotspots via cross-platform applications (Windows, iOS, Android). Global coverage will include over 10 million hotspots across 130 countries, including airports, hotels, restaurants, and other public spaces. This is a significant increase from the 2 million hotspots that Skype WiFi currently has. As shown in the screen shot below, there are already several locations in Nairobi.

NOTE: An interesting post on the Microsoft Careers website shows that Microsoft WiFi may also use their TV White Space technology to augment the number of hotspot locations in areas not serviced by broadband fiber or 3G/4G signals.

As with Skype WiFI, users of Microsoft WiFi will only pay for the time they are connected and not data usage. Payment can either be done via Skype credit (purchased with a credit card) or Microsoft Vouchers. In addition, Microsoft WiFi will come bundled in the Office 365 Enterprise packages.