Wi-Fi Network To Launch In NYC

A new Wi-Fi service is launching in New York City with the goal of connecting small and mid-size merchants with consumers via an app that would enable users to receive both free Wi-Fi and push notifications, Mobile Commerce Daily reported on December 5.   In exchange for using free Wi-Fi networks, consumers agree to receive branded ads and messages from participating merchants. According to Mobile Commerce Daily, hundreds of businesses in the Manhattan area have already signed up for the service, which is being offered by a company called We2.   “You have to think of how merchants are advertising today,” Gomez Vendrell, We2’s CEO, said in an interview. “There are not many sophisticated ways for them to attract demand. We are putting in their hands the ability to target specific users that are close to their business, and that’s a huge thing.