Solving the thorny last mile of mobile app delivery : smArtaccess, a highly customized Wi-Fi system

The problem is as old as apps themselves.  The app at the museum may be free, but downloading it onsite over the 3G network can cost an arm and a leg, especially for foreigners with roaming data overcosts.  But free on-site Wi-Fi hotspots aren’t a great answer either – they get clogged up when people realise they can piggy back on the network to surf the web, update their facebook profile, catch up on last week’s TV, etc, which slows the network, often to a standstill.

We have designed "smArtaccess", a solution to solve this problem and offer visitors a quadruple advantage :

1 - restricted access to the app - and only the app in question. No password required, but cleverly blocks access to e-mail, youtube, and any other internet distractions.

2 - custom "hint & search" in the Application Store to help the visitor browse and find the right application.

3 - local pre-downloading of the app. It saves the network bandwidth and deliver app at lightspeed (around five times faster than traditionnal Wi-Fi hotspots -> e.g. : 170 Mo in 60 seconds).

4 - valuable usage data collection that can be shared with the museum, to help them optimise app or exhibit design.

Our system is live in France on major sites : the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais, the Pinacothèque de Paris, the Chateau de Chantilly and many more. It is available both for the Apple App Store & for the Android Market (with more stores to come...)