In this day and age, almost everyone depends on having internet access at all times.
Meaning, naturally enough, interviewees, customers, contractors, and other visitors are coming to expect more businesses to supply them with strong wireless connections whenever they stop by your office or facility.
Just think back to the last time you stayed overnight at a hotel or spent some time at a franchise café. Odds are the property offered guests Wi-Fi, and if they didn’t, there’s a good chance that their business performance was suffering for it.
That’s because the rapid spread of guest Wi-Fi has made it more than just a convenient offering. Now, it’s become all but a requirement for visitors and customers who need to know they’ll have reliable and free internet access.
While quickly and efficiently providing visitors with access to your network helps boost their overall experience, it’s also crucial that their information (and yours) stays protected.
Why secure guest Wi-Fi access is vital
According to a 2019 survey, 82% of respondents expressed that they connect to free guest Wi-Fi networks whenever available.
However, of that same survey group 71% also admitted they also didn’t pay any mind toward Wi-Fi security.
(Source: DecisionData.org, 2019)
That might make it sound like most people simply aren’t interested in having secure connections. But when something does go wrong, you can bet any network privacy violations that take place will become an overwhelming concern, and those same customers will direct responsibility toward the business that provided a compromised guest Wi-Fi network to them.
And it’s not like Wi-Fi security breaches are an uncommon thing. In fact, according to another 2019 survey conducted by Cylance's Sophisticated Penetration Exploitation And Research (SPEAR) team:
72% of data breaches in the U.K. originate from poor security in wireless connections. - Cylance's Sophisticated Penetration Exploitation And Research (SPEAR), 2019
When considering how such security vulnerabilities frequently cost organizations millions of dollars, the need for secure guest Wi-Fi isn’t hard to understand.
4 ways visitor management systems provide improved, safe guest Wi-Fi experiences
Effective visitor management systems integrate with businesses’ Wi-Fi networks to foster streamlined, best-of-breed solutions that help optimize both physical and digital visitor services.
By choosing to connect visitor management systems like Proxyclick with your guest Wi-Fi provider, companies can make visitor check-in processes faster, safer, and more efficient. This is especially important today, when methods for avoiding long lines at reception areas are key to social distancing in the workplace.
Here are just a few of the benefits of integrating your guest Wi-Fi system with your visitor management solution:
1. Enhance guest Wi-Fi network security with temporary sign-ins.
Opt-in access systems email or text customers unique passwords which allow them to securely access guest networks. Passwords are sent only seconds after being requested, and last throughout the entire duration of a customer’s visit.
2. Simplify your visitors’ experience through automation.
Customers are often left scratching their heads about how to set up guest Wi-Fi when it's actually offered.
Different organizations have varying sign-in methods which can make things difficult for some users—and we all know how people don’t like it when the Wi-Fi doesn’t work. So, to make things easier on the customers end and save front desk staff the time they need to focus on the tasks that matter most, visitor management solutions fully automate Wi-Fi services.
This way, customers can log-in on their own without hassle, network security isn’t put at the risk of human-error, and wireless services become almost effortless to maintain.
3. Improve the touchless check-in process during health crises.
During global health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, a touchless visitor check-in experience limits physical contact with hardware, documents, and other surfaces. This can help prevent the spread of sickness in the workplace.
With an entirely digital (and more private) way of sharing Wi-Fi credentials with guests, you can effectively replace outdated, unsafe methods like passing around sticky notes or a shared document with guest Wi-Fi information.
(Learn about Proxyclick's touchless check-in features here).
4. Easily connect with trusted Wi-Fi providers.
The right visitor management systems are designed to connect with business’ existing systems to unify an organization’s operations across the board. That includes integrating with existing Wi-Fi providers.
Proxyclick pairs with all systems that support the RADIUS protocol, including Aerohive Networks, Cisco, and Aruba Networks, to give our customers their choice of preferred network.
(See how Proxyclick integrates with your guest Wi-Fi network here).
Meeting the modern standard for visitor Wi-Fi access
Over a decade ago businesses that offered Wi-Fi were considered an exception, though today, network access has become something of an expectation.
Of course, as we move further ahead over time, that’s only going to get more true. Thus, businesses that want to stay competitively relevant should move toward offering and optimizing this increasingly important service for customers.
Just as the office of the future has arrived thanks to cloud-based innovations like sign-in apps and IoT technology, the guest experience of the future is anticipated to come along with it.
That means secure, care-free, connections to the digital services that people are growing more accustomed to every day.
Learn more about Proxyclick's Wi-Fi integration offerings here, or contact our team directly for additional information.
