Ross Griffiths is product manager at Nology.

Keeping with the growing trend of mobility is vital for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to remain competitive and productive. As such, they face the challenge of creating an affordable ‘always on’ Internet and e-mail infrastructure that is also available to people working outside of the office.

Creating these two different connectivity options previously required multiple devices, which added to expenses and increased complexity – even with a 3G modem. However, thanks to innovative new technology that allows for the set-up and creation of mobile hotspots on the fly – which enable up to five devices to be connected at any one time – the way SMEs and even some corporates work is being revolutionised.

The mobile hotspot is a device that requires a data SIM card to be inserted, but combines the connectivity with a built-in wireless access point that provides the ability to instantly create a private, secure mobile hotspot. This connection can then be shared by more than one device wirelessly, without the need to plug the device into any single machine, as it runs off both battery and USB power, and does not require any software to be installed on connecting devices.

This type of device has great benefits to the end-user, particularly in the SME space, as set-up time is greatly reduced, and with support for wireless encryption, users can be certain that their wirelessly transmitted information is kept secure.

For sales teams who are always on the road, this type of device provides easy connections for a variety of devices, including tablet PCs and WiFi-compatible smartphones. And in the corporate space, a wireless hotspot device can be used to quickly and easily set up ad hoc connections, for example, in boardrooms during conferences, when access needs to be granted to people who may not be a part of the corporate network.

Not only are these mobile hotspots easier on the pocket, they are also far easier to set up than a traditional wireless router, saving businesses time and money, both of which are invaluable in today’s fast-paced, always on, always connected world.