Kajeet goes live with Best Buy, Limited Too distribution

Tween-focused mobile virtual network operator kajeet Inc. has officially announced its retail launch, with its service and handsets to be available in Best Buy and Limited Too stores.
Kajeet already had begun sales through its Web site, but not in retail locations. As of May 1, the MVNO’s services will be rolled out in more than 500 Best Buy stores. Distribution through Limited Too will begin in early April, the company said.
Kajeet, which is a pay-as-you-go service that requires no contract and carries no activation or termination fees, runs on Sprint Nextel Corp.’s CDMA network. The service offers content from companies including Nickelodeon, Glu Mobile, Gameloft, I-play and Airborne Entertainment, plus applications such as Google Maps for Mobile and AOL’s instant messaging.
The service includes some control mechanisms similar to those offered by family-centric MVNO Disney Mobile. According to Kajeet, those services include:
–TimeManager, which allows kids and parents to schedule when the phone can and can’t be used, such as during school hours.
–WalletManager, which includes separate virtual wallets for parent and child which can be used to pay for different calls or services. For example, the company said, parents can choose to pay for calls to family, while the child can be responsible for picking up the tab on calls to friends or text messages. This feature also allows balance checking, account activity and money transfers from the parent’s “wallet” to the child’s.
–ContactManager, which uses a Web interface for users to determine who is or is not allowed to call or text the kajeet phone.
–FeatureManager, which can be used to turn on or off features such as instant messaging or content downloading.
Kajeet’s pricing includes 5 cents per text message received or sent; 10 cents per minute of talk time; picture messaging for 25 cents per message; and unlimited IM for $7 per month. Kajeet currently offers four handsets ranging in price from $50 to $100.
“With nearly four million new kids becoming cellphone users each year, we created kajeet with a simple mission in mind: super-serve kids with a wireless service designed specifically for them,” said Daniel Neal, founder and CEO of kajeet. “Parents and tweens are striving to find the appropriate balance between the freedom cellphones offer and the responsibility and accountability that accompanies this freedom; kajeet was designed specifically with these needs in mind.”