Mike Abasov

A huge, enormous and awesome, in my opinion, change made by Starbucks is switching to completely unlimited free WiFi in their stores. This is an important sign that shows how new mobile devices are shaping and penetrating our life.

There was no reason to make this change before, when 2 hours per day seamed to be enough to keep geeks, students and businesspeople satisfied. Their laptops and, occasionally, smart-phones were not such a big deal. But now a new epoch comes.

The epoch of tablets, mobile Internet and geo-location services is here. And when your clients not only work, study and socialize but also read books, watch videos, listen to music and promote your place at the same time—all with a constant need for being connected to the Net,—there is no other choice but to give them complete freedom. Yet, Tim Hortons doesn’t quite get it; they don’t have WiFi in their stores at all.