The perfect giveaway at your next tech event: A Globalping hardware probe

Sarah Mischinger -

When it comes to giveaways at tech events, we usually know what to expect: branded t-shirts, bottle openers, and perhaps some stylish coffee mugs. And while these items surely can make some brand fans quite happy, most end up forgotten in a drawer or cupboard.

What if you could offer a unique and practical tech community giveaway instead? That's where our Globalping co-branded hardware probes come in. These probes not only promote your brand but also let recipients contribute to the open-source Globalping platform, which relies on a vast probe network to allow anyone to run network measurements like ping and dig from anywhere for free.

In this blog post, we'll talk more about our Globalping hardware probes and why they are a great giveaway at tech community events like conferences. So, if you're looking for a practical gift that supports open-source initiatives and adds genuine value, our co-branded probes are the perfect choice. Read on to learn more!

About the Globalping platform and why it needs community support

Globalping is an open-source network measurement platform that allows anyone to run tests like ping, dig, curl, and mtr from probes distributed across the globe. A large part of this probe network is powered by the community, where individuals and partner companies host probes in their homes and offices.

So how does it work? Let's say you work in London and have a probe connected to the Globalping network in your office. This can be a hardware probe or a probe running in a Docker container, which is the more common way of hosting a probe. Then, when a user requests to run a measurement from the UK, London, or your ASN, the Globalping API may pick your probe to run these tests. As a result, your probe helps the user get network-related information they need to troubleshoot issues or improve their app or website! (Of course, there are security measures in place and your probe does not give away your exact location.)

Hosting a probe is one of the easiest and fastest ways to actively contribute to the Globalping open-source project and its mission to provide free services that help make the internet faster and more transparent!

Why hardware probes are the perfect tech community giveaway

Each Globalping hardware probe package includes everything needed to get started: a metal ARM-based device, ethernet cable, power cable, and clear setup instructions. We've designed the probes to be easy to set up, making sure they're a hassle-free addition to any home or office network.

Here you can see two hardware probe packages, co-branded with DNSFilter:

Find more probe pictures of the probe here.

Once online, recipients can adopt their probe in the Globalping Dashboard, making it officially "theirs" within the network. This then opens up additional features like probe management, the ability to tag probes to target them directly, and credit generation, which can be used to increase API limits for running measurements.

We're also continually working on improvements and new features for the platform and all its tools. For example, in the future, users will be able to use home internet monitoring features, including uptime and latency monitoring, as well as measuring bandwidth.

Simply put, a Globalping hardware probe isn't your typical giveaway; it lets tech enthusiasts contribute to a valuable, worldwide project while gaining benefits when using the Globalping platform.

Co-branding Globalping probes: a great addition to your marketing strategy

Co-branding Globalping hardware probes offers a unique opportunity to enhance your marketing strategy and go beyond giving away the typical swag. Unlike most other giveaways, each probe gets a permanent spot within the recipient's home or office, providing ongoing brand visibility.

Our hardware probes out in the wild at the CDN Alliance booth:

We take care of all the logistics, from ordering and shipping to custom branding and packaging. If you want to include extra swag like stickers, recruitment pitches, t-shirts, etc., we can also do that (note that these extras are not included in the basic package cost).

The minimum cost is currently (November 2024) a $3,500 one-time payment, which includes a batch of 100 devices. If you'd like to order more than that, note that this can only happen in batches of 100 with no volume discounts (they are already included in the price).

Please refer to this document to learn more about the process as well as up-to-date information on pricing and device quantity.

Everyone wins!

The best part about giving away our hardware probes at tech events is that everybody involved benefits!

For companies:

  • Stand out from other brands by showing that you've put some thought into providing a unique and functional tool.
  • Show your support for open-source projects, which resonates with many tech enthusiasts and engineers.
  • We're working on releasing rankings of services like CDN, DNS, and edge computing. The more probes our network has, the more accurate the data Globalping collects. So if your company is more focused on a specific geographic region, having a high number of probes there will result in higher accuracy for all measurements and your strengths being accurately reflected in the ratings.
  • The more extensive our network is, the more reliable the data we can serve, which positively reflects on your services when users compare providers using Globalping.

For recipients:

  • Contribute to an open-source project on a global scale and support our mission to help make the internet faster.
  • Gain benefits by adopting your probe in the Globalping Dashboard and unlock extra features and higher measurement limits.
  • Gain access to upcoming Globalping features like home internet monitoring.
  • Gain satisfaction from hosting a probe and knowing that this helps users around the world every day.

For Globalping platform and community:

  • More probes mean Globalping and its users can rely on a more robust, reliable network that provides more accurate data.
  • More probes also mean that the platform can distribute the load to other nearby probes, making it easier for it to handle heavier loads.
  • Making the platform more stable and accurate makes it easier for anyone, anywhere, to run free measurements, contributing to a faster and more transparent internet for all.

Co-brand & order a batch of Globalping hardware probes

Globalping hardware probes are more than just a tech giveaway: they connect your brand with the tech community through a meaningful, open-source initiative. These probes are not just something to look at but have an actual use, which allows you to stand out from other swag. At the same time, you also support an open-source project, which aligns with the values of many tech enthusiasts.

So, if you're looking to stand out while making an impact, co-branding Globalping hardware probes and giving them away at community events could be a great option for you!

Get all the details here and reach out to us at d@globalping.io to explore this partnership opportunity.