By Ann Bednarz
Network World, 04/29/02

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Company name: Intended to convey motion, as in the bouncing from one wireless connection to another.

Origin: Founded in February 2001 by Sky Dayton, chairman and founder of ISP EarthLink.

Funding: $15 million in one round closed in August 2001.

Key investors: Evercore Ventures, New Enterprise Associates and Sprint PCS.

CEO: Sky Dayton

Products or services: Client software and wireless Internet access service.

Boingo is all about aggregating wireless hot spots, but the Santa Monica, Calif., service provider isn't building its own coast-to-coast wireless network. Instead, Boingo partners with regional service providers that have built pockets of 802.11b-based connectivity. Partners include WayPort, which focuses on airports and hotels, and Surf and Sip, which focuses on cafes, hotels and restaurants. Once Boingo brokers a deal, it adds the regional carrier's hot spots to its Wi-Fi directory. So far Boingo has amassed more than 500 hot spots nationwide; by year-end, it plans to hit the 5,000 mark.

Boingo is more than a deal-maker, however. Key to its strategy is laptop software that sniffs out available wireless LAN signals then handles logon and authentication processes so the complexity of bouncing from one wireless connection to another is invisible to roaming users. The software also includes a VPN client and authenticated Simple Mail Transfer Protocol service for outbound e-mail. While the software is free, the service costs from $8 for a 24-hour session to $75 per month for unlimited access.

Boingo primarily sells its service to individuals, but says it has begun brokering deals for enterprise deployments. Competition is minimal now ÷ nearest rivals iPass and Gric Communications specialize in dial-up roaming services and are just now addressing wireless roaming. However, the company could face a fight if top-tier carriers decide to broker their own wireless roaming deals. Also on the downside, Boingo depends on the financial stability of its service provider partners.

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