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HarborLink Network News & Events
05/12/2003
From the May 2003 edition of Technology
First, the Greater Dayton IT Alliance monthly magazine.
Free Ride
HarborLink Provides Wireless Internet at Public
Hot Spot Locations
By Travis Tangeman
"That's really cool, but can I use this at home and work too?" This was the question that Rick Tangeman
confronted when he first entered the wireless local area network (LAN) arena in 1996. At the time, well before
the common adoption of IEEE standards like 802.11b, wireless LANs were being used primarily as a tool for barcode
scanners, data entry, and some limited health-care applications. So when Tangeman spoke to people about a company
that was offering business travelers the ability to get Internet access on the road at places like hotels, airports
and other public spots, they were more enamored by the technology that allowed laptop users to not be tethered
to their desks than actually purchasing the service. An age-old issue of great idea, wrong time.
But the concept of public wireless "hot spot" service has never roamed far from Tangeman's mind. Rather
than rush to market, they decided to play a game of patience while waiting for the right entry point.
That point came in 2002. Wireless LAN's are now a common network tool found in corporations, on campuses, and with
the rapid adoption of residential broadband, at home. However, a barrier still remained for public access. Who
would be willing to pay for this service? That's when Tangeman had an epiphany. "It came to me when I visited
a major national retailer of coffee," Tangeman recalls. "I overheard a group of people complaining about
the prices while they were drinking their coffee." It was then he realized that asking people to pay additional
fees for the ability to surf the 'net was going to be a tough sell.
But what if the Internet was free? "The goal of many restaurants, hotels, and airports is not to make money
from the addition of service, but rather to give patrons a reason to stay for an additional beer, an extra bagel,
or just to realize it as an edge over their competition." It was from this vantage point that Tangeman approached
a new concept of free wireless Internet access for patrons who frequent these locations.
Based on an advertising revenue model, The R.B. Tangeman Co., Inc. launched HarborLink, their high-speed, wireless
Internet service. Already in talks with national chains of restaurants, HarborLink has partnered locally with the
franchisees of Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants to offer the service at all of their five Dayton-metropolitan locations
as well as near Miami University in Oxford.
According to John Slaughenhaupt, one of the Owner/Operators of the local locations, "People rely more and
more on the Internet everyday, and we wanted to offer our customers a fun atmosphere in which they could take care
of their Internet needs. Our partnership with HarborLink has given our restaurants an Internet café feel
without having to install any hardware."
Tangeman agrees, "HarborLink is designed to be everything people want without the frustrations often imposed
by network providers. We have seen all kinds of applications including business travelers accessing their corporate
email, students getting together for study sessions, and even fantasy baseball leagues meeting to update their
stats while enjoying all of the big
screen TVs at the restaurants."
HarborLink is looking to add new locations continually throughout the coming months. "We are very pleased
with the enthusiastic responses we are receiving from both potential site partners as well as the users themselves,"
Tangeman
said.
To contact HarborLink, call their Dayton offices at 937-294-2954 or email info@harborlink.net. Visit their website
at http://www.harborlink.net.
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