Gartner says that the number of hotspot users worldwide will grow to 30 million in 2004, up from 9.3 million in 2003: The firm warns that companies should take control of how their workers pay for the service, recommending contracts rather than one day usage fees. Managed service providers like iPass, FiberLink, and GRIC will be good solutions for companies. It goes on to say that alliances, mergers, and acquisitions will be prevalent in the second half of the year.
Most of the recommendations in the report seem to point to the lack of unity in the market. Today, companies must sign up for service with multiple operators to get access to the most hotspots. More roaming and interconnection deals will likely encourage more use by heavy travelers.