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Wednesday July 29, 2009
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 Barnes & Noble customers have had access to paid Wi-Fi hotspots at individual outlets of the popular nationwide bookseller since 2005. The company announced yesterday that it has signed a strategic agreement with AT&T to implement free and unlimited access to all of its 777 stores' wireless networks.
This move seems to be intended, at least in part, to help support the company's ever-expanding eBook initiative. We reviewed Barnes & Noble's new eReader application last week, and this move seems like an excellent way to keep the company's enormous list of titles at the forefront of everyone's minds. Giving everyone with a wireless device instant access to preview and download over 700,000 eBook titles (including hundreds of thousands of additional public-domain selections from Google) is a terrific marketing tool.
And this strategy doesn't end there. Customers who opt in will also be able to receive special offers and useful information directly over the network. The company is currently suggesting such things as coupons to in-store cafés, information on book signings, and specific instructions on how to find new releases as being among the potential benefits for customers.
Posted By:
Matthew Murray
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July 29, 2009 1:40 PM
It is about time, this move is late in my mind.
July 29, 2009 3:17 PM
As if people don't hang around in the cafe seats too long already. They're going to have to institute some kind of anti-loitering policy.