09 February 2010

WeFi Joins Forces With Qik To Enable a High-Speed Mobile Internet Experience for Live Video Sharing

WeFi Inc., creator of the world’s largest community-based global Wi-Fi network, and Qik, the leading live mobile video streaming platform, today announced a cooperation agreement, under which the two companies will enable high-speed Internet access for Qik users on WeFi’s network of over 50 million Wi-Fi access points worldwide, which grows by over 1 million month by month.

In turn, WeFi will be able to expand its network to more hotspot locations, as Qik users are streaming live mobile video from over 160 countries and will discover and connect to Wi-Fi in new locations.

WeFi provides users with easy, automated and free access to millions of Wi-Fi hotspots from their mobile devices.

This presents a series of advantages for Qik users. As opposed to current 3G Internet capabilities, Wi-Fi provides a higher bandwidth, especially important for activities such as streaming high quality video live, and particularly at crowded locations such as tradeshows, sporting events or central transport stations. The Qik streaming experience is enhanced by WeFi’s technology, providing for a smooth, fast, and seamless broadcast.

WeFi dramatically enhances the wireless Internet user experience on mobile devices, by automatically connecting the user to the best Wi-Fi connection available, as opposed to the tedious, multi-step process that previously existed. WeFi always seeks to connect users to Wi-Fi access points where Internet access has already been verified by other WeFi-enabled devices – dubbed “community-verified spots” - in a growing network of over 50 million access points recorded. In addition, WeFi recently released its first generation of carrier-grade solutions for offloading mobile Internet traffic from congested 2G, 3G and in the future 4G networks onto Wi-Fi access points.

“Qik, as a company that pushes the limits of mobile user experience, is a natural partner for WeFi helping to realize the full benefit of mobile Wi-Fi access,” said Zur Feldman, CEO of WeFi. “With mobile Internet traffic increasing each day, Qik will find a stronger and smoother Internet experience on a Wi-Fi network. Qik users will enjoy automatic access to hotspots without having to manually insert their location, open a browser and then search for what hotspots are available, and they will be empowered with the superior mobile Internet experience that WeFi provides.

Vijay Tella, CEO of Qik added, "A majority of Qik users today use devices with Wi-Fi support. This integration with WeFi will enable Qik users to more easily locate and connect to hotspots around the world making their mobile video sharing experience even more compelling. With WeFi on our users’ devices, sharing their experiences through live video will now be easier and faster than ever“