REDWOOD SHORES, CA — (Marketwired) — 05/07/13 — (NASDAQ: IPAS), a leading provider of mobile services for and , announced today that Zain Kuwait, a pioneer of mobile telecommunications in the Middle East and North Africa with more than 41 million customers, will bundle “Zain Pass” with all iOS and Android phones. Zain Pass is an International Wi-Fi Roaming services that allows subscribers to roam the world-s largest commercial Wi-Fi network when travelling outside of Zain Kuwait-s domestic serving area.
According to a recent iPass survey on international data roaming, 98 percent of respondents own at least one smartphone, and more than one-third (33.8 percent) travel with two or more. The survey showed high levels of smartphone adoption across all geographies, including emerging markets. International travelers regularly spend large sums of money at airports and hotels to access Wi-Fi when abroad, and the new bundle allows Zain Kuwait to capture that spend.
“The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reports that international tourism exceeded one billion for the first time ever in 2012, equating to 3.8 percent year-on-year growth from 2011. The volume of international travel is set for robust growth again this year, with the UNWTO forecasting an increase of 3-4 percent in 2013. Since each international trip represents a potential roaming event, the addressable market for international Wi-Fi roaming has never been greater,” said Steve Livingston, senior vice president at iPass. “With international travel now at record highs and multiple-smartphone ownership so common among these travelers, Zain Kuwait has significantly increased the value of its core products and services with Zain Pass.”
“Smartphone owners expect their in-home or in-office Wi-Fi experience to be replicated when they travel internationally,” said Zain Kuwait CEO Omar Al Omar. “The inclusion of international Wi-Fi access for our subscriber base is of high strategic importance to Zain Kuwait and strongly differentiates us from our competition by making it even easier for Zain Pass subscribers to connect to any of the 1.2 million Wi-Fi venues offered. By working with iPass, we are accelerating our time-to-market with international Wi-Fi-roaming services and leveraging their knowledge about best practices learned from over a decade of Wi-Fi leadership.”
iPass Open Mobile Exchange (OMX) is the world-s largest commercial and exchange platform for Communication Service Providers (CSPs). Through a single interface, iPass OMX connects more than 150 unique Wi-Fi networks representing over 1.2 million commercial Wi-Fi venues with certified WISPr interoperability across 123 countries and territories worldwide.
Zain is a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East providing mobile voice and data services to over 41.4 million active customers as of 30 September 2012. With a commercial presence in 7 countries, Zain operates in the following countries: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. In Lebanon, the company manages -mtc-touch- on behalf of the government. In Morocco, Zain has a 15.5% stake in Wana Telecom, now branded -INWI-, through a joint venture. Zain is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (stock ticker: ZAIN). For more, please email or visit:
iPass helps and ensure their employees and subscribers stay well connected. Founded in 1996, iPass (NASDAQ: IPAS) delivers the world-s largest commercial-grade and trusted connectivity platform. With more than 1.2 million Wi-Fi hotspots across 123 countries and territories, iPass gives its customers always-on, frictionless connectivity for smartphones, tablets and laptops anywhere in the world — simply, securely and cost-effectively. Additional information is available at or on , the iPass blog.
iPass® is a registered trademark and Open Mobile Exchange is a trademark 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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