iPass and Skoll Foundation Announce Strategic Partnership

Global Wi-Fi Provider to Help Social Entrepreneurs Drive Social Change through Mobile Connectivity

OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Apr 8, 2014) - iPass Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS), providing cost-effective Wi-Fi access around the world for enterprises and telecom service providers, and the Skoll Foundation, the world's leading social entrepreneurship and social innovation organization, today announced they have joined forces to provide mobile connectivity solutions to help Skoll Social Entrepreneurs tackle some of the world's most pressing problems.

The iPass-Skoll Foundation initiative is being introduced at the annual Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship, which runs from April 9 through April 11 in Oxford, England. The Forum brings together nearly 1,000 distinguished leaders from the business, government, and civil society sectors for three days and nights of debates, discussions, and work sessions designed to promote innovative solutions to global challenges. High-profile speakers include Malala Yousafzai, the renowned human rights activist who was shot by the Taliban at age 15 and later established The Malala Fund, dedicated to promoting education for girls around the world.

At the Forum, iPass will provide more than 100 Skoll Foundation Social Entrepreneurs with iPass Wi-Fi service free of charge for one year. With the iPass service, entrepreneurs will be able to stay connected wherever their work may take them as they tackle critical social issues and visit beneficiaries and stakeholders. During the coming year, several Social Entrepreneurs will share their stories through blogs detailing how iPass Wi-Fi and other technologies are helping them stay connected while they travel.

Skoll Social Entrepreneurs who will be blogging about their respective organizations and use of technology during the year include:

  • Bart Weejens, Corporate Affairs of APOPO -- APOPO is a social enterprise that breeds and trains Mine Detection Rats (MDRs) to provide a cheap, efficient, and effective solution to the global landmine problem. APOPO also trains rats to swiftly and efficiently evaluate sputum samples for tuberculosis. A trained rat can evaluate a lab technician's daily output in 10 minutes. APOPO is a Belgian NGO, with headquarters in Tanzania and operations in Mozambique, Thailand, Angola and Cambodia.
    http://www.skollfoundation.org/entrepreneur/bart-weetjens/

  • Jim Fruchterman, President, CEO & Chairman of the Board of Benetech -- Benetech is a different kind of tech company -- a non-profit -- with a pure focus on developing technology for social good. Benetech leads multiple program areas and initiatives to advance technology solutions that work and have the potential to become financially self-sustaining.
    http://www.skollfoundation.org/entrepreneur/jim-fruchterman/

  • Andrea Coleman, Co-Founder and CEO of Riders for Health -- Riders for Health is an international non-profit organization that provides health care to rural African villages using motorcycles and motorcycle ambulances. The project has resulted in reducing disease and illnesses by getting patients much-needed medicine in a reliable and cost-effective way.
    http://www.skollfoundation.org/entrepreneur/andrea-and-barry-coleman/

  • Willy Foote, Founder and CEO of Root Capital -- Root Capital is a nonprofit social investment fund that grows rural prosperity in poor, environmentally vulnerable places in Africa and Latin America by lending capital, delivering financial training, and strengthening market connections for small and growing agricultural businesses.
    http://www.skollfoundation.org/entrepreneur/william-foote/

  • Ned Breslin, CEO of Water for People -- Water for People is an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing access to improved water and sanitation systems and services in developing countries. Water for People brings together local entrepreneurs, civil society, governments and communities to establish creative, collaborative solutions that allow people to build and maintain their own reliable safe water systems. http://www.skollfoundation.org/entrepreneur/ned-breslin/

"Mobile connectivity is critical to our social entrepreneurs' work around the world, in some of the most remote places on earth. Yet global access to mobile connectivity is still not as affordable as people might think," said Sally Osberg, President and CEO of the Skoll Foundation. "These entrepreneurs need to be connected with team members and partners, and communicate, share information, and make decisions in real-time. iPass will be an invaluable tool to keep them connected to what matters most."

"iPass strongly supports the mission of the Skoll Foundation to drive large-scale change by investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs," said June Bower, CMO of iPass. "The Skoll Foundation is at the forefront of innovation, and iPass is honored to play a role in assisting the Skoll Social Entrepreneurs in their efforts to accelerate and scale impact. Mobile connectivity can play a key role by allowing these leaders to work and stay connected as they travel across the globe."

About the Skoll World Forum
The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship is the premier, international platform for accelerating entrepreneurial approaches and innovative solutions for the world's most pressing social issues. The Forum comprises an annual event that convenes nearly 1,000 distinguished delegates from the social, finance, private, and public sectors in Oxford, England, and the Skoll World Forum Online, a year-round global communications platform that provides aggregated news, perspectives, and stories on social entrepreneurship and a spectrum of issues. Strategic partnerships with leading media institutions and other organizations -- including Forbes, CNN, and Reuters -- expand the reach of Skoll World Forum Online content to a broad and influential audience.

About the Skoll Foundation
Jeff Skoll established the Skoll Foundation in 1999 to drive large-scale change by connecting, celebrating and investing in social entrepreneurs and the innovators who help them solve the world's most pressing problems. Social entrepreneurs are society's change agents -- creators of innovations that disrupt the status quo and transform our world for the better. By identifying the people and programs already enacting positive change throughout the world, the Foundation empowers them to extend their reach, deepen their impact, and drive toward a sustainable world of peace and prosperity.

About iPass Inc.:
iPass helps enterprises and telecom service providers ensure their employees and subscribers stay well connected. Founded in 1996, iPass (NASDAQ: IPAS) is the world's largest commercial Wi-Fi network and trusted connectivity platform, with 2.2 million hotspots across 130 countries and territories. iPass also delivers access to millions of community hotspots around the globe. iPass gives its customers easy connectivity for smartphones, tablets and laptops around the world -- simply, securely and cost effectively. For more information, please visit: www.ipass.com and the iPass blog, Smarter Connections.

NOTE: iPass® is a registered trademark of iPass Inc. Open Mobile, OME, Open Mobile Express, Open Mobile Exchange and OMX are trademarks of iPass Inc. Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Other company names, logos and product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks owned by their respective owners.

Find iPass on:
Twitter: @iPass: twitter.com/ipass
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ipass

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