Last update - 00:00 28/02/2008
Find yourself and your friends on a WeFi WiFi map
By Guy Griml, Haaretz Correspondent
About three years ago I went to California on my honeymoon. Every time I booted up my computer, I prayed there would be a hot spot in the neighborhood that would allow me to access a WiFi network. Without it, what was the point, what was the point?
Sometimes my wireless modem did find local hot spots, but in most cases it didn't. At that time, the advanced hotels offering their guests WiFi access were as rare as the condor.
Now WiFi hot spots have become the norm. Over the years, service providers have developed aids that help surfers locate and evaluate the hot spots around them.
There are four main players in this market. One of them is WeFi (formerly Contigo Mobility), an Israeli company that effectively is also a social network of WiFi users. WeFi's software replaces the wireless Internet connection offered by the Windows operating system; instead of logging on without knowing which WiFi spot has the best reception, WeFi's software automatically locates, identifies and logs on to the strongest wireless network in the vicinity.
In addition, the program locates hidden wireless networks in a surfer's area and identifies which ones need a username and password (in cafes or hotels, for example), and which have already been identified by other WeFi surfers.
How does it work? After the software is downloaded, it scans all the wireless networks and tests them, and ultimately logs on to the spot with the best reception. The program's default setting is to automatically log on to nearby networks, but savvy surfers can log on manually. Every WiFi network is also rated for quality.
So far, about 10,000 users have downloaded the beta version of WeFi's software. Company officials expect hundreds of thousands to download it in the coming year, after the beta stage is over. In fact, the more people download and use WeFi, the more its performance improves, because every WeFi user contributes to mapping the hot spots, which users can see on a map. The mapping can be done automatically or manually - if you are in an area where wireless networks have not already been mapped.
WeFi's software includes social networking features, such as chat and friend lists. After you have added a friend, you can see where he is on the map and how far away he is from you. WeFi users have identified some 300,000 hot spots so far, of which some 100,000 have been mapped. Close to 25,000 of these hot spots have been mapped in Israel.
About two weeks ago, WeFi launched a new application that adapts the company's software for use with cellular devices that support WiFi. In the meantime, the new application works only with devices that use Windows Mobile, but in the future it will be compatible with other cellular operating systems.
WeFi is among the companies in which Yossi Vardi has invested. The company's driving force is CEO Zur Feldman, who returned to Israel after 26 years in the U.S. In 1986 Feldman joined HP as employee number 16, and over the years he rose to senior vice president. At a certain point Feldman received an offer from Vardi to head Mirabilis (which developed ICQ), but had to turn it down.
Over the course of his career, Feldman founded Ztech and worked at Gilat Satellite Networks. In 2005 Feldman joined Pitango Venture Capital as an independent partner, and after two years Vardi phoned him and asked him to be CEO of WeFi, after that company had been reorganized.
WeFi was founded by Shimon Scherzer and Arnon Kohavi, who served as CEO until Feldman arrived. Vardi was the first to invest in the company, which was founded in February 2006.
WeFi has so far raised $7.3 million from the Pitango, Lightspeed and Gemini VC funds, and from Vardi. The company still has no revenues and is trying to attract as many users as possible, as its business model is based on location-based advertising.