execMobile has launched Unlimited, a solution which gives business travellers an uncapped data solution when overseas. Although not cheap, this is a first of its kind and will prevent the massive bill shock that many have experienced when returning from their travels.
Craig Lowe, execMobile founder, says Unlimited is a subscription product which gives business uncapped Internet for R349 per day of usage. ‚”We’ve had a lot of interest in an uncapped product from our corporate clients who are looking for a fixed cost product that removes the cost uncertainty for executives using large amounts of data when travelling abroad,‚” he says. Unlimited has a subscription of R99 per month per PocketWifi device, with a daily data cost of R349 for uncapped Internet. The great thing about the PocketWifi device is that it supports 5 Wi-Fi enabled device connections simultaneously, which means that a single user can connect multiple devices or a team of employees can get connected when travelling without having to worry about the amount of data they use, Lowe says. Given that the average international data cost of around R100 per MB, Unlimited is extremely well priced to reduce the cost of employees’ data when travelling. The daily cost equates to only 3MB of data at current roaming rates. Coverage for Unlimited has been expanded to 110 countries: worth noting is that 14 African and 7 Middle East destinations are supported including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, DRC, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and many others. ‚”Our Global alternative is also a post-paid option: travellers pay R7.99/ MB, with no subscription rate. This is 90 percent cheaper than the standard international data rate and employees are only billed for the data used, offering them the flexibility to use corporate infrastructure or other alternatives abroad,‚” he says. Both solutions offer corporates total cost control: Global allow companies to set daily or monthly data usage limits, whilst Unlimited offers companies who prefer the bundle scenario a fixed daily cost. ‚”On Unlimited, travellers will pass the Global (pay per MB) threshold at 38MB. As with uncapped on local data, it changes the usage pattern of the users when they don’t have to worry about how much data they are using,‚” he says. The alternative for users needing to use larger amounts of data is Wi-Fi. However, Wi-Fi networks can become congested, slowing download rates, and are potentially unsecure and simply not feasible for many corporates. ‚”It’s interesting to note that many South African corporates now have policy in place to prevent their employees from using public Wi-Fi networks,‚” Lowe says. And while local data costs will always be cheaper, they often require buying a SIM card in that country, a RICA-equivalent and require the user to forfeit their mobile number and modify their device settings. The convenience of the Unlimited solutions is that it automatically activates when employees start using data while roaming, giving a predictable cost structure.
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