It’s no secret that the recent release of the virtual reality mobile game Pokemon Go has made headlines all over the world. The game brings Generation Y and Millennials back to their childhood roots in an innovative way. Players can catch various Pokemon characters using the GPS on their mobile phones. But because the game eats up such a large amount of data, it’s often recommended to play when connected to a WiFi network.
According to GM Authority, technological advances have allowed General Motors (GM) to now offer OnStar 4G LTE WiFi in its latest portfolio of vehicles. These brands include Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC. And it hasn’t taken Pokemon Go players long to catch on. The technology works just like connecting to any other wireless network, except once you enter the car, your phone syncs to the WiFi.
Since 4G is the best connection available for WiFi right now, players can explore with better accuracy and the GPS can pinpoint locations more efficiently.
While GM has some players covered while they’re in the car (parked, hopefully), what are players going to do while they’re at work? It’s only a matter of time until someone gets caught using their office WiFi phone systems to catch a Bulbasaur. When serious players are connected to a wireless internet access point, they don’t have to worry about how long they spend playing the game or how much data that they use. The only real concern would be battery life.
If the idea of Pokemon Go players mooching off their company’s WiFi phone systems seems far fetched, it shouldn’t. A reporter was recently caught playing the game during a State Department briefing on ISIS.
What are WiFi phone systems?
Commonly referred to as WiFi VoIP phones, these communication solutions allow phone calls to be digitally transmitted through an internet connection. The phone itself is cordless and has similar hardware as VoIP phones. WiFi phones are typically more affordable and easy to setup when installation of voice and data cabling already exists.
There are two types of phones that can be used to implement wireless VoIP: the WiFi VoIP Phone and the DECT (digital enhanced cordless telecommunications) phone. Earlier WiFi phones used technology similar to current devices on the market, like baby monitors. Currently, they use WLAN networks to connect.
With new applications like Pokemon Go taking the world by storm, it is no surprise that the mobile VoIP market is expected to have 1 billion users by 2018. Considering that phones using VoIP services save businesses up to 50% monthly, and that combining it with WiFi makes phone systems both flexible and portable, the number of users could increase indefinitely.
One thing is for sure, increased interest in WiFi availability and WiFi phone systems has significantly increased since the release of the game.