More than half (56%) of retailers plan to offer Wi-Fi guest access to shoppers to improve the customer experience in stores, according to Motorola Solutions research. By doing so, these merchants demonstrate their willingness to respond to the mobile-enabled shopper’s needs, while also engaging these customers with product reviews, in-store coupons and other relevant marketing tactics.
To better enable this customer care improvement, Motorola today released WiNG 5 Secure Access, a new cloud-based, direct marketing and Wi-Fi solution for brick-and-mortar retailers. The move is designed to fuel two key trends: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and consumer Wi-Fi access in stores, according to Sameer Kanagala of the Market Development and Solutions branch of the Wireless LAN Division at Motorola Solutions Inc. In addition, Motorola Solutions has unveiled AP 6522, a new access point developed to help retailers manage the increasing number of devices tapping into their wireless networks.
“Our new products can help retailers ensure a secure connection, either for consumers visiting locations, or employees that are carrying smartphones or tablets on the store floor,” said Kanagala in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “We wanted to create an intuitive, one-time process to help make BYOD less daunting for retailers, and also help them better connect with shoppers. Moreover, this access will empower consumers to conduct their own product research while in the store aisle.”
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With WiNG 5 Secure Access, retailers can enable zero-touch on-boarding for a variety of smartphone and tablet models by using more flexible authentication methods, such as social sign-in via Facebook, Google and LinkedIn accounts, Kangala explained. “It boils down to creating a secure environment in which consumers can connect their devices to the in-store environment for hours on end,” he said, “making it even more similar to their at-home browsing and buying experiences.”
Connections are protected with a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2) encryption, which keeps shopper connections and transactions secure. Retailers also can combine WPA2 with guest Wi-Fi analytics to help create more relevant messages and offers to market directly and more effectively to shoppers in stores.
