CellMania.com, the First Integrated Wireless Site, Launches Nationwide Today Today
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — September 8, 1999 — CellMania.com, the most comprehensive Internet destination for consumers shopping for cellular phones, accessories, service plans and content, launched its nationwide service today at www.cellmania.com.
"We provide sanity in the crazy world of cellular phone shopping," said Dr. Ronjon Nag, chief executive officer. "Cellmania.com offers a unique vehicle for people to research and purchase cellular phones and service plans — minus the frustration that customarily accompanies that process. You just indicate your needs and budget, and we give you advice on the best options tailored to individual geography, usage patterns and desired monthly payments."
CellMania.com is the first cellular site that not only provides U.S. consumers with unbiased comparisons of cellular options, but also guarantees that consumers can purchase their selections online. CellMania.com offers more than 10,000 service plans covering 90 percent of the nation, with more options added every week. Cellmania.com supplements its own evaluations with a unique community rating service ("Rant and Rate") that provides direct consumer input on products and services. services.
Addressing the growing popularity of the new "smart phones" that are programmed to connect with email and the Internet, CellMania.com also is the first site that will offer a wide selection of content options (e-mail, weather, stock quotes, etc.) for purchasers. CellMania.com's MobileMail application provides a free service to deliver priority e-mail to your phone based on your personal rules. Other content options will follow.
CellMania.com offers more than 35 carriers including Airtouch, AT&T, BellSouth, Cellular One, GTE, MCI, Nextel, Sprint PCS and Skytel. In addition, CellMania offers all leading phone brands including Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia and Qualcomm.
"Today's announcement by CellMania is further confirmation that mobile professionals want to leverage the Internet to compare, shop, and buy mobile phones and other wireless mobile information appliances over the net," said David Hayden, senior industry analyst for Mobile Insights. "By providing a one-stop-shop for mobile communications information and value-added services such as mobile e-mail, combined with the ability to purchase phones and activate service nationwide, CellMania has created a solid competitor to the local wireless store."
Unlike other web sites devoted to cell phone purchase comparisons, CellMania.com does not refer consumers to brick and mortar retailers for actual purchases.
"If you see it, you can buy it on our site," said Dr. Nag. "That's a major advantage for consumers who don't want to spend hours waiting in a retail store."
Currently, it takes the average U.S. consumer two weeks to make a cellular phone purchase after doing the necessary research and visits to dealer locations.
CellMania.com's consumer benefits include:
1. Wider selection of phones, carriers and accessories than can be found anywhere else.
2. A single point of contact for pre-sales and post-sales questions
3. Unique wireless applications such as MobileMail, the first free priority e-mail forwarding and filtering service that delivers priority messages to phone or pager based on personal rules
4. Credible consumer ratings and feedback on products, carriers and cell phone options.
CellMania.com is led by Dr. Ronjon Nag, who most recently served as vice president and general manager at Motorola and was responsible for creating technology in leading edge phones that are selling in the millions of units per year. Dr. Nag previously founded Lexicus, a handwriting and speech recognition company acquired by Motorola. CellMania's other co-founder and vice president of marketing, Neerav Berry, was previously senior director of product management for BroadVision.
Other executives come from a unique blend of e-commerce, wireless and consumer marketing backgrounds including AT&T, Symbian, Selectica, Silicon Graphics, VLSI and Bugle Boy Jeans.
The company's investors include its founders, BroadVision CEO Pehong Chen, Suhas Patil, Chairman of Cirrus Logic, Inc., and a major corporate investor.
CellMania.com is based in Mountain View, Calif. and can be found on the World Wide Web at www.cellmania.com.
SOURCE: CellMania.com
CONTACT:
Matt Shaw, 801-350-0711, or Erika Shubin, 801-350-0703, both of Publicis Dialog for CellMania.com com