After revving up to rebrand, YadaYada Inc. Monday made its first significant
push in a while with the launch of its wireless Internet service, a
games service, e-commerce partnerships and executive appointments.
The wireless service provider, humorously named from a well-known
Seinfeldian mantra, has hedged its bet on what many industrialists believe
will be a blooming wireless market, with potentially millions of people
snapping up Handspring Visors or Palm handhelds.
With YadaYada’s wireless browser, handheld users can view just about any Web
site in the world, in addition to
sending and receiving e-mail from up to six POP3 accounts.
These features are powered by YadaYada’s infrastructure, which includes the
development of a mobile virtual network on the CDPD network in partnership
with AT&T Wireless and other carriers. YadaYada also set up shop in Hoover,
Ala., with a network operations center that can service more than 2 million
users. The mobile specialist will also offer a
customer service/technical support center to provider subscribers with 24/7
care.
President Raj Gupta, whose business also embarked on rebranding with the
tagline “Wireless Internet Service. Your World. On the Go,” said his vision
is to move “the entire Internet to a user’s palm.”
YadaYada will now focus on the growing “culture of mobility.” As part of its
new brand identity, the firm also offers redesigned packaging and a
redesigned Web site. And with the new style, the firm has also begun
offering what many industry believe is a key draw among handheld users —
games.
In a world characterized by waiting and idle time, people with Palms or
Visors can go to YadaYada.com and play
Blackjack, Poker, Touch Trivia and Word Soup, provided by fellow wireless
service provider Indiqu.
In conjunction with its new service and brand, YadaYada also said it has
joined forces with three commerce solution providers — DealTime,
BarPoint.com Inc. and SNAZ Commerce Solutions — to bring YadaYada users
convenient wireless shopping.
Gupta said the goal was to take the difficulty and time-consumption out of
wireless shopping.
To accompany and round out the expansion, Yada also installed three new,
experienced executives to its team: Andrea Thurman as the vice president of
marketing, C. Kumar Kumaraguruparan, vice president of technology and
Shukti Majumdar, vice president of human resources.
