Stellar Startups: Wifi Workers of the World - Unite!

While getting different-minded people to work together for a common goal may be a tall order, Israeli startup Bzeek has created a system that will foster togetherness for wifi networks

By DAVID SHAMAH
In unity, there is power. When the people are one, they present a formidable force, one that realizes benefits for each person to a far greater extent than could have been achieved through individual effort. The people, united, will never be defeated. Yeah, right. Sounds like psychedelic-'60s silliness to our ennui-engulfed 21st century ears. Regardless, there's no doubt about it: There is strength in numbers, and when every member of a group works toward the same goal, powerful forces - more powerful than anyone could have imagined - can be marshalled for the benefit of all. And while getting different-minded people to work together for a common goal may be a tall order, Israeli startup Bzeek (http://www.bzeek.com) has created a system that will foster togetherness for wifi networks - with the goal being the creation of a worldwide, uninterrupted wifi network that will allow you to surf the Internet on your laptop or smart phone while you're on the move - anywhere in the world. Bzeek has created a piece of software that acts like a wifi router, allowing you to provide wifi services from your wired or wireless computer connection or router to other Bzeek users. With Bzeek, says company CEO Dr. Elad Barkan, you essentially "sublease" your wifi connection to others: You connect to the Internet using your own regular connection, while other Bzeek users in the neighborhood piggyback on your connection - logging onto the sub-network you create when you install your copy of the Bzeek software on your computer. You use your own secure connection provided by your ISP to surf the net, while your "tenants" use their Bzeek connection to access the services you provide them in the subsystem - specifically port 80 (HTTP) and port 25 (SMTP e-mail) connections. Your guests log onto the network you create, not your ISP's. "It's perfectly secure," says Barkan, "because the Bzeek software is limited to provide only these services, so there's no chance a rogue user will be able to break into your network or your hard drive." If enough people set up a Bzeek connection on their computers, a worldwide wifi "sub-network" will have been created - and any Bzeek user will be able to jump between the virtual routers, maintaining a solid Internet connection wherever they go. "Instead of being rooted to a table at a coffee shop, for example, Bzeek users would be able to get a free Internet connection as they moved around town, at meetings, the airport, or anywhere other Bzeek users are," says Barkan. "We plan to have seamless handover of the connection, like a wifi 'roaming' feature." While laptop users can definitely benefit from a Bzeek installation through the convenience of an always-on and everywhere-active network, owners of cellphones with wifi connections will be able benefit by savings lots of money on their cellular calls. "Using the wifi connection on devices like iPhones, for example, users will be able to connect to an Internet voice service, like Skype, and make free calls anywhere in the world to other users of the same or other services. Instead of dialing a long distance number, users can connect via wifi using their service's software, and using Bzeek's 'roaming wifi,' they will be free to go wherever they want and stay in touch - for free," he says. While Bzeek is perfectly safe - "it has a built-in firewall to prevent users from accessing anything beyond the Bzeek Internet connection," says Barkan, who has a background in computer security, users also can rest assured that their own connection will not be overwhelmed by the Bzeek sub-network users who access their connection. "Although others - perhaps a number of others - will be accessing a Bzeek member's connection at any one time, those connections will have a negligible impact on the ability of the 'connection provider's' ability to access the Internet," he says. "Bzeek will allocate no more than 10 percent of a user's bandwidth to Bzeek members connecting to the sub-network while there are active connections," says. When a Bzeek "service provider" isn't connecting to the Internet, says Barkan, that percentage will rise. "No matter what, the user will not be negatively impacted by other Bzeek users," he says. Right now, Bzeek has a version for Windows XP/Vista systems, and supports Intel Pro/Wireless 3945 cards (soon to be expanded to Intel 4965 cards, and others), and Barkan would like to provide a Linux - and even Mac - version of the software. "We're planning a major expansion campaign here in Israel to start with," Barkan says; he hopes to virally spread the use of Bzeek by having ISPs bundle it with service for customers. Eventually, he adds, the company will charge a modest fee for accessing the network; but those who sign up now as initial users in the very recently opened Bzeek beta version are assured of having free access even later one, when the company starts charging. The recent turmoil in the world's credit markets will no doubt filter down to startups like Bzeek, which may have a harder time raising venture capital for further development - but Barkan isn't too worried. "They've been promising us always-on Internet connections like Wimax or 4g for a while now, but widespread implementation of those systems would entail a major new investment in hardware - and investors are in no mood to hear about that right now," he says. "Bzeek offers the same benefits at a fraction of the cost of current always-on connections - like cell networks - and is ready right now. We believe Bzeek will be very popular among both users and investors." startup@newzgeek.com