execMobile, a South African company founded by Craig Lowe, has this year so far saved its clients (individuals, SMEs or corporate travellers) close to R100 million in data roaming costs by using its PocketWifi solution. Lowe is also excited about the possibility of an agreement with Telkom, South Africa’s largest fixed-line telephone group. By Gugu Lourie
execMobile’s PocketWifi enables clients (individuals, SMEs or corporate travellers) to have their own personal, secure connection to the super-fast 3G internet. This enables users to work wherever and whenever – while at the same time jettisoning huge data roaming costs.
“You always strive for that R100 million savings. We have achieved it in the past 12 months,” reveals Lowe, adding that execMobile has eliminated associated risks for corporates to use such bandwidth.
“It’s a nice R100 million story, which is absolutely amazing. It’s a substantial savings.”
Asked to elaborate on the savings, Lowe explains: “What it does it say is; we are of a size that they (corporates) should start trusting
It works just like a Wi-Fi hotspot, but it’s personal, secure and fits in your pocket! Share your internet connection with up to 5 Wi-Fi capable devices.
us.”
But convincing travellers to dump free Wifi provided by their hotels and instead adopt solutions such as PocketWifi, is not easy.
“It’s very hard to sell against free Wifi. The problem is that nowadays if you are overseas; how do you catch your Uber (taxi) with the Hotel’s free Wifi?” asks Lowe.
“How do you use Google Maps to navigate with free Wifi at your hotel? You need mobile Wifi all the time to stay connected.”
execMobile offers travellers various solutions to this problem.
Its prepaid Smart data bundle solution for individual or SME is available through 200MB, 500MB OR 1GB data bundles from R1/MB with a PocketWifi at R999 and SIM only option at R149 to be used in 109 countries.
While the contract Webbing solution is available via a 300MB daily bundles at 66c/MB with a PocketWifi valued at R1999 and multi sim technology to load 6 M2M enabled SIM cards.
Juniper estimates the global roaming market to be valued at about $57 billion.
The South African-based firm has been in business for five years trying to perfect its art of keeping people connected in an “affordable,
safe and convenient” way through its PocketWifi solution, which has undergone a metamorphosis four times.
Provides the solution to 200 corporates
“We’ve been working hard over the last year to deliver and win over corporates. We now have more than 200 corporates that we serve,” says Lowe.
“There is demand for this … in terms of mobile connectivity. We are trying to meet that demand with a solution, which works, every time you turn it on, it must work”.
He added that execMobile was working on an LTE or Long-Term Evolution version of its PockeWifi dongle.
LTE lowers latency, offering customers the fastest wireless internet connection to download webpages faster, stream video and music content and participate in online games with great ease.
ExecMobile is “stealing” revenues from mobile operators as customers move to its platform and adopt PocketWifi solution.
“We are growing; we are taking away a terabyte of data from the mobile operators moving them away from Wifi. Hopefully
next year we will be doing two or five terabyte of data abroad,” says Lowe.
Tying up an agreement with Telkom
Meanwhile, execMobile is in a process to conclude an agreement with Telkom, South Africa’s largest fixed-line telephone group.
However, Lowe wouldn’t be drawn into divulging further details about the agreement with Telkom.
“I’m very excited with what we are doing with Telkom,” says Lowe.
“We are probably a month away from launch. That will enable us to raise the awareness (of our solutions).”
