Norton WiFi Privacy

I want to learn a little more about Norton WiFi Privacy.  I recently installed it on my iPad and iPhone.

Maybe this is a newbie question, but I am not sure how it is properly used.  If I am at an unsecured server (e.g., a hotel room), I have trouble turning the VPN on.  I had the impression that the purpose of Norton WiFi Privacy was to turn on a VPN when at an unsecured location so that some things could be secured.  Am I misunderstanding the purpose of Norton WiFi Privacy?