Tomizone and D-Link offer DIY fee-charging hotspot service

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 24 April 2007 11:37

Business IT - Technology

D-Link is to integrate its wireless routers with software from New Zealand company, Tomizone, to create products that will enable consumers to set up their own WiFi hotspots through which they will be able to offer Internet access to friends and neighbours at no charge, or for a fee.

The Tomizone software routes traffic from the user's broadband router into the Internet via the Tomizone server which collects revenue, governs usage and enables fund distribution to the people that own a Tomizone hotspot.

Tomizone charges the end user of a Tomizone enabled Internet access service up to $A4 per day, payable by PayPal or credit card, and remits 50 percent of this to the Tomizone owner. It claims a Tomizone can be set up anywhere globally where there is a fast internet connection. To prevent end users making excessive use of a Tomizone hotspot, there is a 160Mbyte daily download limit and 1.6Gbyte limit on a weekly pass.

In partnership with Tomizone, D-Link will offer its DI-524UP and DIR-300 wireless routers with Tomizone software (which is installed on the router) at no extra cost. Tomizone CEO, Steve Simms, said: "Customers will notice a new feature in some of the D-Link routers which allow them to secure their broadband connection and share it to make money." He told iTWire that a key to the system was "beig able to bill for the service in real-time in multiple currencies."

Tomizone claims it enables "anyone with a bit of time, inclination and a selected D-Link wireless router to set up a secure hotspot from any broadband connection and start making money."

Australia and New Zealand customers will be the first in the world to be able to buy D-Link routers with Tomizone software loaded, starting in of mid May. The company also plans to take the service to the USA.

Tomizone will showcase its service and the D-Link routers at CeBit in Sydney at its stand on May 1st to 3rd. Tomizone software also runs on certain Linksys routers.

So far Tomizone's are rare beasts: The locator on the Tomizone website shows one in Wellington (NZ), five in Auckland and two in Australia, both in iiNet's Perth offices.

This suggests that iiNet is likely to be the first Tomizone ISP reseller in Australia. Simms declined to comment on any possible ISP relationships in Australia, but did confirm that these were part of the company's marketing strategy. He said the first of several New Zealand ISP partners would be named at a launch event being held in conjunction with CeBit on 1 May. He added that the company had no plans at present to replicate its relationship with D-Link with Linksys.