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Sputnik upgraded its SputnikNet Express Wi-Fi service to include advertising targeted to the location of each wireless hotspot. SputnikNet Express makes it easy for cafes, coffee shops, retail establishments and other single-location businesses to operate and manage free wireless hotspots as a customer amenity.

“The growing demand for wireless broadband presents a great opportunity for business owners to build customer loyalty,” said David LaDuke, Sputnik president and CEO. “SputnikNet Express makes it easy for non-technical business owners to set up a value-added Wi-Fi service branded with their own logo and marketing identity. The service optionally includes display of popular localized content.”

When a customer initiates wireless Internet access, a welcome screen displays local maps, local search, and links to weather, movie times, and local advertising. The business owner can choose to display the localized welcome page information from either Google or Yahoo.

In addition to localized advertising on the welcome page, other new features of SputnikNet Express include:

- enhanced security that can be used to block Wi-Fi customers from accessing the business’ private/company/employee networks;
- support for device-level authentication of VoIP Wi-Fi phones and other client devices that do not support a web browser log-in method;
- recent usage reports and bandwidth consumption charts; and 
- the ability to remotely terminate the session of a “bandwidth hog.”

SputnikNet Express service is free and available today. It works with all Sputnik-powered access points running either Sputnik or DD-WRT+Sputnik Agent firmware. Sputnik also sells pre-configured Sputnik-Powered access points at the company’s online store.