REDWOOD SHORES, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 05/03/12 -- iPass Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS), the global Wi-Fi® and Wi-Fi roaming leader, today announced it has joined the Wi-Fi Alliance® to participate in development of the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint™ program that aims to improve the end-user experience in Wi-Fi hotspots. The company also announced its support for the complementary Wireless Broadband Alliance, Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) effort that together with the Passpoint program will simplify Wi-Fi hotspot access.

iPass is paving the adoption of next generation Wi-Fi as a global service, and has published a new white paper today. 'A Carrier Roadmap for Monetizing Next Generation Wi-Fi,' outlines how NGH is likely to develop and how telecom operators should think about the evolution of Wi-Fi networks to improve subscriber satisfaction, reduce the churn rate of their premium subscribers and maximize their roaming revenues.

"iPass strongly believes that Wi-Fi will be the only truly global network and roaming will be an essential part of the experience. NGH and Passpoint are critical to remove the friction inherent in the connection process today and enable a much improved user experience. These initiatives speak to the core value proposition of the iPass services fabric and we believe will add tremendous value to our offering. It will also accelerate adoption of Wi-Fi outside of both the home and office environments to allow telecom providers and content companies to better deliver their customers richer services and media," said Marcio Avillez, iPass vice president of network services. "As iPass continues to grow and manage global Wi-Fi roaming relationships, both our enterprise and telecom service provider customers will benefit from our experience and core authentication platform; and this will enable them to benefit from next generation hotspot access points without needing to develop new back office infrastructure."

"Disruptive providers are already embracing Wi-Fi to improve their offerings and reduce costs. Our policy-driven solution, iPass Open Mobile Exchange (iPass OMX), is helping these providers deliver the benefits of global Wi-Fi access to their customers today," added Avillez. "Supporting a move to standards will ensure the improvement and adoption of Wi-Fi services making it function more like a secure cellular network."

"iPass is extremely supportive of any standardization that makes it easier for devices to get connected to Wi-Fi. Today, connecting to a Wi-Fi network can be difficult as there is little standardization in how networks are identified and how users authenticate," said Barbara Nelson, iPass chief technology officer. "The emergence of the NGH initiative and the Passpoint program will very importantly remove friction from the user's Wi-Fi experience. iPass enterprise and telecom service provider customers will benefit from these improvements as our services will be better able to determine appropriate networks based on the customer's required policy decisions while maintaining the visibility and reporting customers require in today's data hungry and security conscious world."

iPass is actively involved in defining and driving industry standards as a provider of the world's largest commercial Wi-Fi network and has a long-standing and successful history of Wi-Fi services innovation. An early pioneer in the creation of the global broadband roaming market, iPass delivered the industry's first broadband roaming service that gave business travelers simplified, high-speed and secure remote access to their corporate networks. iPass is a board member of the Wireless Broadband Alliance and co-author of the WISPr 1.0 protocol, a standard that defines how smart clients can access Wi-Fi networks.

Passpoint-certified equipment automates the discovery, selection and connection to Wi-Fi networks. Like the cellular network, devices can securely and automatically connect with no need for users to manually enter usernames or passwords. The automation possible with Passpoint equipment allows mobile operators, who increasingly have their own or partner hotspot networks, to 'offload' many more users from their busy mobile broadband networks and features similar levels of security to the cellular network including end-to-end radio link encryption and SIM authentication.

For more information about Next Generation Wi-Fi, see the iPass white paper or visit www.ipass.com

About iPass OMX
iPass OMX is the leading telecom service provider Wi-Fi exchange that helps to increase mobile network capacity quickly and cost-effectively by providing carriers with access to the world's largest commercial Wi-Fi network. Through a single interface, iPass connects more than 140 Wi-Fi network operators with certified WISPr interoperability in 118 countries and territories worldwide. iPass is a member of the Wi-Fi Alliance and a board member of the Wireless Broadband Alliance. Additional information about iPass Open Mobile Exchange is available at http://www.ipass.com

About iPass Inc.
iPass helps enterprises and telecom service providers ensure their employees and subscribers stay well connected. Founded in 1996, iPass (NASDAQ: IPAS) delivers the world's largest commercial-grade Wi-Fi network and trusted connectivity platform. With more than 780,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across 118 countries and territories, iPass gives its customers always-on, frictionless connectivity anywhere in the world -- quickly, securely and cost effectively. Additional information is available at www.iPass.com or on Smarter Connections, the iPass blog.

iPass® is a registered trademark of iPass Inc. Open Mobile Exchange and OMX are trademarks of iPass Inc. Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners.

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