Local wireless service provider Skyrove has spun off a new company, Viento, which will focus on providing analytics on top of WiFi hotspots to shopping centres, retailers and businesses.
The move will also enable Skyrove to focus on its core operations of prepaid Internet access and branded hotspots. Skyrove claims to be SA's "largest independent WiFi hotspot network with over 600 WiFi hotspots in SA".
Viento, which is still in the process of gearing up to go to market, will be headed up by Ellie Hagopian, who is moving from Skyrove. In her place, Ross van der Pas will take over as CEO of the WiFi company.
Using a software layer that can be implemented on many networks, Viento provides insights to businesses about consumer behaviour. It uses hardware and software from partner companies to provide services such as personalised digital marketing and advertising.
Hagopian says Viento came about as a result of her desire to add a value-added component to Skyrove's offerings to differentiate it in a competitive market. Now, however, Skyrove will focus on its core business, while Viento will offer analytics tools to business that piggyback off WiFi networks, she says.
Modelling business
Viento aims to provide services that will allow retailers to work out how long someone has been on their network, and the related sales through the tills, although this will be done anonymously, says Hagopian.
Hagopian explains this information can then be used by the business in their model to work out, for example, if they need more tills. She adds Viento will launch a consumer education campaign, highlighting the privacy and security considerations involved in these types of services.
In addition, Viento will offer targeted marketing, such as discount coupons, on top of the WiFi network, although this will be opt-in only, says Hagopian. She notes this will be done so it is in line with best practices and the Protection of Personal Information Act.
"The sort of tracking and profiling that is done online can also be done in the real world. It's an ethically sensitive area, and if you betray your consumers' trust just once you will never get it back. Consumers must understand if their movement or buying behaviour is being tracked, why it's being tracked, and they must be able to control the entire process: up to and including full opt-out."
Currently, Viento is in hiring mode and a junior sales employee is set to join the company soon, notes Hagopian. She adds she is on the hunt for a CTO as well, but does not yet know how big the team will be.
Hagopian notes there are already interested clients, but she will spend the next two months making sure the business is ready before taking orders. The technical aspects are already in place, she adds.
Viento will be a success when it has moved into Africa and the Middle East, which Hagopian is targeting for five years' time. She says the timing is right for this sort of offering, as companies know they need to do something in the loyalty and mobile space but are not aware of how it can be used.
The company will be based in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and will provide services countrywide.
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