Wirefly
| Industry | Wireless |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | USA |
Area served | USA |
Key people | Logan Abbott, President |
| Products | Mobile phones and wireless service plans |
Number of employees | fewer than 1,000 |
| Parent | InPhonic until its 2007 bankruptcy, Simplexity from 2007 until May 2014, Wind N Sea Technology Partners from May 2014 onwards |
Wirefly operates as a comparison website specializing in cell phone plans and smartphones. Prior to its May 2014 relaunch, Wirefly functioned as an online retailer for wireless devices and services under the ownership of Simplexity. The company was based in Reston, Virginia, with additional technology and operational facilities located in Largo, Maryland.Template:Fix/category[citation needed] Wirefly also managed a YouTube channel offering video evaluations and product comparisons of popular devices.
History
In November 2007, Simplexity took over Wirefly.com after acquiring InPhonic's assets in 2006. InPhonic had filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Following these proceedings, NASDAQ removed the company's stock from trading. Subsequently, numerous InPhonic assets—including its e-commerce operations and the Wirefly.com website—were sold to private investors who established Simplexity in January 2008 using these resources. On March 12, 2014, Wirefly ceased operations and entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[1] The website was revived in May 2014.[2]
By April 2014, approval was granted for the sale of Simplexity’s assets—excluding the Wirefly.com domain—to Wal-Mart for about US$10 million.[3]
Reception
Wirefly has been honored with several online accolades, such as Forbes magazine's "Best of the Web" award in 2004 and Keynote Systems' recognition for "Best In Overall Customer Experience" in 2005.
The company's YouTube channel, featuring video reviews and product comparisons of popular gadgets, has garnered over 5.5 million views. As of July 29, 2013, this channel was ranked 6,935,491 globally according to Alexa.com.
References
- ↑ "Simplexity, LLC and Two Affiliates File Chapter 11 : Delaware Business Bankruptcy Report". Archived from the original on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
- ↑ Ryan Whitwam. "Wirefly Is Back Under New Ownership With A Slightly Different Focus". Androidpolice.com. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
- ↑ "Bankrupt Simplexity Gets OK For $10M Wal-Mart Sale Plan". Law360.com. Retrieved 2017-07-01.