![]() ![]() Shanda Innovation Institute, launched in 2009, was one of the first tech startup incubators in China and so far the only one by a major Chinese internet company. With a single online game licensed from South Korea in 2001, Shanda became one of the biggest online gaming companies in China.Īs early as in 2005 Shanda launched a set-top box full of online games, planning to introduce more digital content so that it would become the digital entertainment hub for Chinese households. The company came up with the idea of selling credits for in-game purchases at internet cafes across China instead of at news-stands or other traditional distributors, and developed a software system for them to sell credits online. Shanda is known for their creative business ideas in the Chinese internet market. The company is led by Chen Danian, the twin brother of Shanda CEO Chen Tianqiao. WiFi Master Key is a project of Shanda Innovation Institute (our translation), an incubator established by Shanda. Ideally, a user at a certain place, after connecting to the WiFi network, will be able to find deals listed on different group-buying services, then order a taxi, for example, through the app. It has signed deals with some Chinese group-buying and rating and review services, and a taxi app, among others. The company’s next step is to get offline merchants and lifestyle services on board. The iOS version will be launched by year end. The app is available on Android, Windows and Mac. It’s not profitable as yet, however, as it has to pay Chinese telecom operators or WiFi service providers in order to offer as much choice as possible for free to users. WiFi Master Key claims it’s the largest such app in China, with 500 million registered accounts and 250 million monthly active users. It has been reported that the company has begun generating revenues from advertising. ![]() It is believed such an app will be the first everyone uses when arriving somewhere, so all of these companies plan to add location-based services on top of it. Many are developed by big internet companies, such as Qihoo 360, Tencent, Wandoujia, Xiaomi, and Xunlei. There are several similar services in China. The hotspots are not voluntarily shared by WiFi network owners, but WiFi Master Key allows them to opt out. The company claims it has collected about 700 million WiFi hotspots across China. Always asking for WiFi passwords when you’re out and about? WiFi Master Key (our translation) is an application that automatically connects your devices to WiFi networks when in range.
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