Orchid Group has signed a deal to bring The Cloud WiFi into all of its bars, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs right across the UK.
The Cloud app shows the nearest WiFi hotspots so users can plan where to go for a drink, to watch the football or for a meal, knowing that they can still get online if they need to keep an eye on emails. WiFi will still be fully available and free to all of Orchid’s customers, something pioneered by the company some 5 years ago.
Orchid Group Purchasing Director Arnaud Unvois said, “Customers expect free WiFi in all sorts of places these days, so by bringing them WiFi from The Cloud we will ensure they can get online quicker and easier when they’re with us.'
Research commissioned by The Cloud, which has 11,000 hotspots across the UK, found that 73% of smartphone owners use their phones while out and about to check prices or look for offers, and nearly a third use their phone for social networking on the go. But faced with no WiFi, 31% say they are frustrated that they cannot get online.
With Orchid's move to WiFi from The Cloud, the group hopes to ensure that customers do not go somewhere else simply because of internet connectivity.