Screenshot by Melanie Pinola
Mashable yesterday posted a piece on How Starbucks Plans to Capitalize on Free Wi-Fi -- details on the Starbucks Digital Network (SDN) which will offer exclusive, premium content to Starbucks Wi-Fi customers.
Starbucks' switch to offering free Wi-Fi to all customers was only recently announced and implemented last month. Along with that announcement of unlimited Wi-Fi access was an intriguing yet barely detailed mention of the Starbucks Digital Network.
Mashable's article reveals that SDN will be "a localized five channel network with curated content from the best sources in the following categories: News, Entertainment, Wellness, Business & Careers and My Neighborhood." There will be free iTunes downloads, Nick Jr. Boost access for kids (and their parents -- so we can actually get a chance to drink our coffees!), and other premium content.
The most compelling part of SDN for mobile professionals in particular is the free access to content from otherwise paid content providers such as The New York Times and USA Today. Without a doubt, this added value will help draw more Starbucks Wi-Fi customers -- and likely drive up Starbucks sales as more people (especially those who use their local Starbucks as their second office) stick around for longer. It may also make finding a seat at Starbucks a bit harder, though.
See you there!
Get the whole scoop at Mashable
Related: Directory of Free Wi-Fi Hotspots
Comments
Since when is the NY Times a paid content provider? I read the NY Times every day on line for free.
Yup, jumping the gun on the NYT paid content, announced in January but not implemented yet (it’s still coming, though: http://techcrunch.com/2010/01/20/new-york-times-metered-model-2011/)