Joltage Networks Teams With Young Design Inc. To Offer Affordable Wi-Fi™ Hardware
Contact: Michael Chaplo
(Joltage)
Phone: 212-248-1410
Contact: Thomas Kiblin (YDI)
Phone: 703-205-0600 x209
New York, New York — September 09, 2002: Joltage Networks, a wireless technology company creating a network of high-speed wireless Internet HotSpots and Young Design Inc. (YDI), a leader in extended range solutions utilizing 802.11b (Wi-Fi™) technology, today announced an agreement that will enable Joltage HotSpot Providers and Subscribers to purchase items from YDI's suite of Wi-Fi™ compliant hardware, including wireless access points and networking cards, at discounted rates. The Wi-Fi™ equipment will be made available via a co-branded Joltage/YDI Web site.
With this partnership, businesses — such as cafes, restaurants and hotels will be able to significantly reduce the cost of setting up a Joltage HotSpot. Additionally, Joltage Subscribers will benefit from the reduced prices they'll receive on Wi-Fi cards and other wireless networking equipment. After purchasing YDI products, Joltage HotSpot Providers and Subscribers will receive ongoing technical support from YDI.
This agreement comes at a critical time. According to a recent study from Cahners In-Stat, a leading industry research and analysis firm, the number of wireless access points shipped each year will jump from 1.2 million in 2001 to 3.5 million in 2005. The firm estimates that annual wireless networking card shipments will more than triple from 6.3 million last year to 19.4 million in 2005.
As a leading equipment and technology provider to the nascent public HotSpot market, YDI is extremely excited to be working with Joltage Networks," said Robert Fitzgerald, chief executive officer of YDI. "We believe that Joltage has developed a sound business model and has the team and expertise to bring their services to market on a major scale. By providing real world experience with a consistent open architecture product suite to Joltage, we believe that YDI is uniquely positioned to accelerate Joltage's expansion plans."
"We're very pleased to be able to offer Joltage Providers and Subscribers affordable one-stop-shopping for high-speed wireless Internet equipment through our partnership with YDI," said Michael Chaplo, chief executive officer of Joltage. "YDI's product suite and technical support will allow us to deliver a truly first-class solution for Joltage HotSpot Providers and Subscribers."
Joltage Networks enables the creation of high-speed wireless Internet HotSpots. Joltage HotSpots are revenue-generating locations owned by independent HotSpot Providers, or "micro-ISPs". For HotSpot deployment, Joltage provides a simple-to-use, downloadable software application, which seamlessly integrates with a comprehensive suite of back-end services. Joltage Subscribers pay either $1.99 for one hour of service or $24.99 for a month's usage anywhere on the network. Subscribers benefit from Joltage's simple set-up process, which does not require any software to be downloaded to the Subscriber's machine. For access to Joltage HotSpots, Subscribers simply open an Internet browser and go. Joltage's proprietary software solution is patent-pending.
For more information, or to download Joltage's free Provider software, visit www.joltage.com.
YDI is a world leader in providing extended range products for license free wireless data delivery systems and is the largest manufacturer of 2.4 GHz amplifiers in the world. In addition, YDI is a leading designer of turn-key extended range wireless systems and supplies wireless data equipment to over 800 wireless ISPs worldwide. Additional information about YDI as well as its complete product line can be found at the company's Web site located at www.ydi.com.