CuteHotspot

A tool that has been designed for Wi-Fi hotspot managers. It allows for billing, inventory and other management functions.

Pros: CuteHotspot is a really cute tool for managers who in charge of public Wi-Fi hotspots, such as in Cafes, airports etc. Usually one of two things happens, either the setup process is too difficult for the user OR the software package available from some vendors for this purpose is too expensive for small business owners. However, CuteHotspot is a solution to those problems. It allows managers to manage the Wi-Fi network that they are in charge of. They simply need to redirect users to a login page (web-based) and the rest is taken care of by the application: printing of tickets that can be handed out to customers; billing, and also billing based on traffic usage and not just time usage; inventory, maintaining a log of usage, billing etc over time; the web URL also shows the user his/her current usage; time/money can be added seamlessly without affecting user’s current session; and it features a fairly decent and intuitive interface. Additionally it also has POS (point-of-sale) and inventory options so that now all billing functions can be managed at CuteHotspot itself, no longer requiring additional software for this purpose. Receipt look and feel and Login page can be customized to match the Businesses overall theme/motif.

Cons: No significant limitations. It performs the stated function well. The only thing is that it has a very limited user base. But having said that, that user base will be fairly happy with the utility of the tool. Some questions about Security and key management, WEP, WPA, WPA2 etc. Not entirely clear as to how these can be managed seamlessly and without too much user intervention.

Overall: 5 stars. Performs the required functions. Interface is not exceptional but is not bad either. The users who do need this kind of stuff will find it useful.

Charge the customers of your cafe, club, shop, hotel, etc. when they connect their laptops, PDAs or any other mobile devices to your access point (Wi-Fi hotspot) and use the Internet to surf the web, read emails or chat via an instant messenger. Setup point-of-sale (POS) for making walk-in and memeber sales, use the built-in inventory system.