Wireless, But It's Not Wi-Fi?:

An inevitable marketing hurdle is faced when a new technology is introduced into the world. Predictably, there will be as many types of reactions to it as there are people on the planet – until it proliferates throughout the population.

For some people, when they are told about our Wireless Technology, the information goes completely over their head. For others, they want to reach for an understanding but fail to make the mental leap that will put them ‘over the top’. The majority of folk, though, are not in contention for this high jump – it’s not in their ball-park – even less in their ‘Field of Dreams’.

But, added to this challenge is the fact that our Wireless Technology has not yet been released and therefore it is a daunting prospect for the average person to even negotiate an understanding of what we have.

It would make things easier if we had a name to call this new technology rather than refer to it as ‘Wi-Fi’. And we would have avoided ‘guilt by association’ by comparing it with the status quo Wireless Internet technology it is destined to replace.

What to call this technology recently presented itself ‘front and center’ as an issue of importance to address. A ‘Name’ had to be found which would forever identify the ‘Future of the Internet’ at a global level of awareness.

This technology is so revolutionary; a name was needed to identify it in the same way ‘Radio’, ‘Television’ or ‘Telephone’ brings instant recognition of those particular communication mediums in everyone’s understanding.

Our illustrious President and ItsYourNet CEO, Ken Stewart, recently relayed this dilemma to Affiliates and I thought I’d share the events which led up to a global appeal for a ‘Wireless Name’.

The following is taken from the October 26, 2006 Affiliate Newsletter:

Wireless, But It's Not Wi-Fi?:

Okay...

Enough is enough...

We need to get some clarity in place about our "Wi-Fi" Project that everyone is so excited about...

Last week we received a call here at our office from ItsYourNet Affiliate member Mr. Robert Short, who wanted to speak with someone about our "Wi-Fi" project.

That was all fine, but when I took the call, I was completely stumped by what Robert had to ask me...

Robert said;

"I have been actively marketing the Branded Wi-Fi ISP option that ItsYourNet offers, but I have been running into trouble when trying to answer the ISP owners when they say to me; "Wi-Fi is everywhere, so why should we need to go with the Wi-Fi being offered by ItsYourNet?". I know to tell them about the low cost, money-making options, and range our Wi-Fi product has, but these ISP owners seem to want to know what it is that really makes our Wi-Fi product different from other Wi-Fi and WiMax products out there and why ours would be worth their while?"

Okay... What was I to say to that?

Ultimately, I didn't have an answer for Robert...

So I responded with; "I don't know... Let's call Gary Brown and ask him."

As a result, we 3-way called Gary (oops.... I interrupted his lunch meeting he was at...), and with a quick explanation from both Robert and I on the problem of explaining why the Wi-Fi Gary has developed is so different, Gary answered with;

"We only just call it Wi-Fi because the technology is based on Wireless Fidelity, which is a general term used for anything that sends data over a wireless signal or frequency; however, what I have developed is neither Wi-Fi or WiMax as the world knows it or understands it, what I have developed is a completely new technology that doesn't use any of the same signals or frequencies that Wi-Fi and WiMax are based on, so I suppose it is best described as simply as "High Speed Wireless Internet. Other than that, it really doesn't have any other name, or at least we have not given it another name at this time."

Okay... That clarified things for what to tell ISPs for both Robert and I, we thanked Gary and ended the call.

With that said, although any wireless signal that transmits data is in all reality "Wireless Fidelity" (Wi-Fi for short), what the world has adopted as the "term" Wi-Fi makes everyone think of "Hotspots" like what you find in Hotels, Truck Stops, or your local Starbucks coffee shop.

Even "WiMax" technology is just a glorified Wireless Fidelity product, but what Gary has developed is nothing like "Wi-Fi" or "WiMax", it is a completely new Wireless Internet technology that has never been done before...

So... Why are we calling it "Wi-Fi"?

Shouldn't we call it something else?

Well, to help explain this, I referenced the word "Wi-Fi" at;
"The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2005 Denis Howe":

"The term was invented by the marketing departments of wi-fi equipment manufacturers. It is, notionally, short for "wireless fidelity", on the analogy of hi-fi for "high fidelity" audio."

And also;

"WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University":

"a local area network that uses high frequency radio signals to transmit and receive data over distances of a few hundred feet; uses ethernet protocol [syn: wireless local area network, WLAN, wireless fidelity, Wi-Fi]"

Okay, so does that help explain why we call it "The Wi-Fi Project"?

No... It doesn't... Not really...
Because it is NOT a "Wi-Fi" like the Wi-Fi everyone uses today...

So shouldn't we call it something else?

If we called it "Wireless Internet", everyone would think or say; "Oh yeah, I know about Wi-Fi" or some may even think and say that it means "Oh yeah, I have that on my cell phone" - Right?

As a result, when Gary visited our office here yesterday, I brought up the call we had with Robert last week and said;

"Gary, if you were to give your Wireless Internet technology a name, like the industry invented the names Wi-Fi and WiMax, and you could not use the name "Wireless Internet", what would you call it?"

Well there it was... I had my answer!

Gary said;

"Well... I don't know... I would have to throw that thought around a little..."

As a result, I asked Gary if we could look to our Affiliates for an answer.

Gary said that would be fine, and actually liked the idea of having the Affiliates help figure out a name for "Wireless Internet".

So, with that said, what would you call Gary's "High-speed Wireless Internet" technology?

I'm sincere in this; I would like our Affiliate members to come up with suggestions for a name.

In the end, if Gary decides to use the name you come up with, I honestly can not promise anything more than the fact that your name will go down in the history books for having come up with the name for the Future of the Internet, but I'm sure we can provide the winner with a few perks here and there along the way as well :-)

Please submit your suggested name for Gary's T-1 Wireless Internet product to:

WirelessName@ItsYourNet.com

The bottom line on this section of the Newsletter here, is, that we have at least established how to approach ISPs (and anyone else for that matter) to explain that this is Wi-Fi, while still not being Wi-Fi in the traditional sense of the word, and what to say and how to describe what Gary has developed, and lastly, why they need to get involved with ItsYourNet to get it.

End of Transcript.

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So there you have it; if you have an idea for a ‘Wireless Name’ you should submit it using the above email address.

However, before you do - I would suggest you register as an ‘Affiliate’ or submit a Branded ISP ‘Registration of Interest’ through t3wifi.com in order for your submission to be eligible for consideration.

I’m anxious to know what name is settled on for the simple reason that I’ll have to register a new domain name for my website. I mean, having a Wireless Internet run at T3 speeds really is something to talk about – but T3WiFi is an oxymoron of sorts like: ‘Jumbo Shrimp’, ‘Pretty Ugly’ and ‘Living Dead’.

T3 is Jumbo Living Pretty but who needs the association with Ugly Dead Shrimp Wi-Fi?

Any Suggestions?