The MiFi from Novatel Wireless, one of San Diego’s leading technology companies, is hands down my product of the year. As an avid road warrior, their MiFi Pocketspot has become my hotspot anywhere I need Internet access, not only in the USA, but around the globe, as I have both an unlocked GSM device and USA only editions from both Verizon and Sprint, as neither offer just enough coverage, and we all know the inconsistencies of the AT&T network.
Recently, ReThink Wireless wrote an early eulogy about Novatel based on their earnings call last week.
This is a product whose market has yet to peek yet. It’s early, and Novatel has the lead in the department. Their upcoming deal with one of the mobile data aggregators will help with the Enterprise market but the big sales come when AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint get their business customers on board. Those budgets start to pop in 2010, so as Novatel and the carriers work on better pricing, and as data caps get lifted or aggregated between users with company wide bundles, the value of the MiFi to the traveling executives, especially those that travel in teams, will begin to take hold.
Then there is the Novatel Wireless Developer Lounge that will bring new applications to the MiFi set, that can be installed on board. Think of that as a portable cloud.
While Novatel has a lot of ground to cover, they’ve been steadily improving their execution and delivery the last few years, so I’m taking the more optimistic approach and choosing to view their glass as half-full, not half-empty.