An article by Free Rein

When was the last time you used a desktop computer to access the internet; yesterday, last week, can’t remember?

With the advent of free WiFi in many public locations and fixed price fast mobile data deals, an increasing number of people are using mobile devices to access the internet.

Morgan Stanley estimates that the number of mobile internet users will exceed the number of fixed internet users by 2014. Whether that is a laptop while having a cup of coffee, a smart phone walking down the street, or a tablet while heading off to the Olympic Games this summer, our preference for information on the move is here to stay.

The types of content people are viewing is changing as well; with real time information such as train timetables, streamed video and two way chats increasingly common. But a mobile service is no use if it fails just when you need it most. Last winter for example the demand for access to real time train updates rose by 400% during the bad weather.

Along with the increase in mobile based internet access comes an increased awareness of the vulnerability of these services to a peak in demand, and the risks to personal information being transmitted.

The Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) has warned that the upcoming Olympic Games will place a major strain on the UK’s broadband networks.

With the advent of smart TV’s in the home it has become increasingly easy for people to access and stream internet video, with estimates of 60,000 people downloading a full high-definition movie every minute during the Olympics Games.

In the last 12 months Free Rein has helped customers embrace the trend towards mobile internet access, to cope with peaks in demands, keep video streaming when others have ground to a halt, and do this all in a secure and resilient manner. Some examples of recently delivered projects include:-

• A highly secure and scalable solution for the new Business Link Event Finder service

• An online virtual events system to launch products worldwide to thousands of journalist

• An award winning mobile friendly web site called Heritage Connect for Lincoln

• A mixed mobile and desktop secure communications system for a global bank

• A touch-screen and kiosk based airport and 5-star resort information system in the West Indies.

• Numerous websites, intranets and digital marketing campaigns for companies across East Anglia

To find out more about how Free Rein can help you embrace the latest internet trend please contact Jeff Hume on 01473 810002, jeff.hume@free-rein.net, or visit www.free-rein.net.