Wherify Wireless Inc. will retail its Wherifone GPS Locator phones through Toys `R’ Us outlets nationwide starting Oct. 1, after a long delay during which the firm twice re-engineered the product.
Wherify plans to sell the phone under a mobile virtual network operator business model with service from PetroCom L.L.C., which has nationwide roaming agreements. PetroCom is headquartered in New Orleans and provides offshore cellular and satellite phone services to the petrochemical industry.
According to John Cunningham, a spokesman for Wherify, the MVNO is still seeking a Tier 1 carrier relationship, but chose the MVNO model and a deal with PetroCom as a way to get its product to market quickly. Wherify reaches the market after numerous child-location and family connectivity offerings from competing MVNOs and carriers.
The Wherifone GPS Locator Phone is designed for pre-teens (ages 8 to 11, the company suggests) and seniors and retails for $100. The device’s basic service plan begins at $20 per month. According to Cunningham, the phone and service is designed as an adjunct to a parent’s existing cellular service.
The Wherify phone allows the user to call five different phone numbers by touching one of five buttons. It can be configured to send messages to any other phone at pre-determined times, such as after school, giving the phone’s location via the Internet in a variety of ways including aerial photographs, street maps or approximate street addresses. One can initiate the location service from any phone or by calling the Wherify service center.
Service options include a Rate Protection Plan, which kicks in the most cost-effective service plan when a subscriber exceeds their basic monthly service agreement. The original service plan kicks in again at the beginning of the next monthly billing cycle.
Cunningham said that Wherify originally designed the phone with CDMA technology, then switched to GSM technology, which he said offered a larger market. The company also upgraded the GPS chip prior to the phone’s launch. Wherify recently announced a deal with Delphi for distribution rights to the Wherifone in Brazil.
