Mobile Workers Report Average Monthly Data Roaming Bill Shock of $1,089 Globally, According to New Data From iPass

REDWOOD SHORES, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 22, 2012) - [ iPass Inc. ] (NASDAQ: [ IPAS ]), a leading provider of mobility services for [ enterprises ] and telecom [ service providers ], today published its quarterly [ Mobile Workforce Report ] which shows that 43 percent of mobile workers reported they had experienced an expensive data roaming bill in the past year and on average encountered a high data roaming bill 1.4 times a year. The average cost of their monthly data roaming bill shock was $1,089. A greater number of mobile workers are taking a stance on data roaming rates as 81 percent of mobile workers state that data roaming prices are too high and 23 percent of mobile workers said they always turn off data roaming when they travel.

"For today's mobile worker connectivity is oxygen. Prohibitively high mobile data roaming charges are killing mobile worker productivity and people are afraid to turn on their cellular devices," said Evan Kaplan, chief executive officer at iPass. "Enterprise IT and mobile operators have the power to keep mobile workers productive and efficient by providing seamless access to critical data and rich applications on Wi-Fi as a complement to cellular data plans at a tiny fraction of the cost, maybe then people will then turn on their smartphones while roaming."

Eighty percent of mobile workers declared they preferred using Wi-Fi networks over cellular networks for mobile application use. Additionally 85 percent of mobile employees said they wanted their companies to provide a Wi-Fi access plan for their out-of-office use that can help avoid high charges and connectivity lulls. The resulting fear of bill shock means that workers are cautious to use even basic but work critical applications such as web-browsing and email when roaming.

The report also identified that Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) remains a strong trend, especially in North America, as users increasingly use their own devices for work and are increasingly more network cost and security conscious. While BYOD can offer greater flexibility for mobile workers it can reduce visibility into mobile costs for IT departments. And, because of the expense and complexity of global connectivity many enterprises are increasingly focused on providing easy, cost effective data access, making "[ Bring Your Own Network ]" (BYON) a next hot-button topic for enterprise and mobile employees who want access to more affordable, global Wi-Fi networks to complement their current network access.

Other report findings include:

• 80 percent of mobile workers stated $1-2 per megabyte (MB) to be a reasonable price for mobile/cellular data roaming.
• 17 percent of mobile workers don't know if they are being over charged for roaming charges because their company pays the bill.
• Corporate security measures have not kept pace with BYOD, with 25 percent of businesses still failing to demand security features on their employees' devices.
• Security is being further compromised with 48 percent of mobile workers admitting to bypassing IT restrictions to enable them to access corporate data.
• 19 percent of mobile workers' companies do not require security on smartphones or tablets to access work data.

For more statistics and findings, please visit [ http://mobile-workforce-project.ipass.com ]. 

About the Report
The [ iPass Mobile Workforce Report ] is published quarterly. This report was based on a survey of nearly 1,200 mobile enterprise employees worldwide between June 19, 2012 and July 13, 2012. The iPass Mobile Workforce Report can be found at [ http://mobile-workforce-project.ipass.com ].

[ About iPass Inc. ]
iPass helps [ enterprises ] and [ telecom service providers ] ensure their employees and subscribers stay well connected. Founded in 1996, iPass (NASDAQ: [ IPAS ]) delivers the world's largest commercial-grade [ Wi-Fi network ] and trusted connectivity [ platform ]. With more than one million Wi-Fi hotspots across 111 countries and territories, iPass gives its customers always-on, frictionless connectivity anywhere in the world -- simply, securely and cost-effectively. Additional information is available at [ www.iPass.com ] or on [ Smarter Connections ], the iPass blog.

iPass® is a registered trademark of iPass Inc. Wi-Fi^® is a registered trademark of the WiFi Alliance. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners.