iPass facts for kids

For the electronic toll collection system see I-Pass.

iPass Inc. is an American company based in California. It helps people connect to the internet using Wi-Fi on their devices. iPass was first started in California in July 1996. The company's shares became available on the NASDAQ stock market on July 24, 2003.

How iPass Started

iPass was founded in January 1996 by Chris Moore. Later, Michael H. Mansouri became the leader of the company in 1999. Kenneth Denman took over as CEO in 2001.

In July 2003, iPass offered its shares to the public for the first time. This is called an IPO (Initial Public Offering). They raised over $100 million.

In 2004, iPass wanted to make connecting to the internet even better. They bought two companies that year. One was Safe3w, which had special technology to identify devices. The other was Mobile Automation, which helped manage mobile devices.

Two years later, in 2006, iPass bought GoRemote Internet Communications. This company used to be a competitor. Even with these big purchases, iPass continued to grow. By the end of 2007, their total earnings reached $192 million.

In 2008, Evan Kaplan became the new CEO. During his time, iPass started building a new system for its mobile services. By January 2010, they launched their first cloud-based platform, called iPass Open Mobile.

In 2015, Gary Griffiths became the new CEO. He and Patricia Hume, a new chief officer, started a new plan for growth. They launched iPass Unlimited. This was a subscription service where users paid a fixed fee each month for unlimited Wi-Fi use. iPass also worked with more partners in 2015. This helped them grow their network of Wi-Fi hotspots from 18 million to 50 million around the world. They also improved their products and apps. In November 2015, iPass announced a new technology called iPass SmartConnect.

What iPass Offers

iPass is a service that helps users and their devices connect to a huge network of Wi-Fi hotspots. Think of it as an app you download to your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. This app helps you find and connect to iPass Wi-Fi hotspots easily.

How iPass SmartConnect Works

The iPass app uses special technology called iPass SmartConnect. This technology helps find and rate Wi-Fi hotspots. It checks things like how strong the signal is, how fast the internet is, and if there's enough space for many users. iPass SmartConnect also helps make sure your connection is safe and reliable.

The iPass Wi-Fi Network

iPass has a very large Wi-Fi network. It includes about 50 million hotspots in over 100 countries. You can find these hotspots in many places. This includes major airports, convention centers, planes, trains, train stations, hotels, restaurants, and shops. The network also includes millions of free Wi-Fi hotspots.