Kinko’s adds T-mobile’s wireless broadband

Kinko’s and T-Mobile announced an agreement that will give Kinko’s customers Wi-Fi (802.11b) high-speed wireless broadband Internet access through the T-Mobile HotSpot service.

More than 1,000 Kinko’s locations nationwide plan to offer the T-Mobile HotSpot service, with rollout starting in the fourth quarter of this year.

Currently available in more than 2,300 convenient brand-name locations across the country, the T-Mobile HotSpot service provides customers with wireless broadband connectivity to the Internet andcorporate intranets via Wi-Fi enabled laptops and PDAs.

Through the agreement, Kinko’s and T-Mobile will add a service that caters to the needs of one of Kinko’s core customers – mobile professionals. These customers regularly turn to the Kinko’s networkof digitally connected locations for their presentation needs and a variety of other services.

The installation of T-Mobile HotSpots – which keeps customers connected while outside the home or office – will enable Kinko’s to increasingly be more convenient for its customers. Kinko’s customerswill soon be able to easily connect to the T-Mobile HotSpot service to access their corporate e-mail and mission-critical data, as well as have their documents and presentations printed and preparedfor them when and where they need them.

“Kinko’s is known for making technology fast, easy and accessible – Our customers count on it. T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi leadership makes them the perfect match as we expand into a new area to meet customerneeds,” said Dan Connors, senior vice president of corporate strategy for Kinko’s. “Thanks to the addition of T-Mobile HotSpot service at Kinko’s locations nationwide, Kinko’s will soon offer a newway for our customers to tap into the power of our own network of locations, experts and business services. Availability of T-Mobile HotSpots at Kinko’s will make it easy for mobile professionals toaccess their corporate network, check their e-mail and even wirelessly print documents from anywhere inside our stores.”

“The addition of Kinko’s to T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi network represents a landmark achievement for T-Mobile and for our industry,” said Joe Sims, vice president and general manager of T-Mobile HotSpot. “Withthe addition of Kinko’s, T-Mobile HotSpot service expands to yet another convenient location where mobile professionals already are and want to be. This agreement with Kinko’s represents a criticalelement in building our T-Mobile HotSpot foundation and in preparing T-Mobile HotSpot for future success and industry leadership.”