October 28, 2004

Yahoo! Acquires Bloomba

Bloomba, an e-mail program that offered impressive search features and speed, was just acquired by Yahoo!. Per the Bloomba announcement:

Why did Yahoo! acquire Stata Labs?
This acquisition will provide Yahoo! with exceptional technological expertise and strategic assets.

What does Yahoo! plan to do with the technology as a result of the acquisition?
At this time we do not have any announcements about the ongoing plans for the technology or the specifics of the transaction.

I just purchased Bloomba or SAproxy Pro. Can I get a refund?
Customers who purchased Bloomba or SAproxy Pro within the last thirty days are eligible for a full refund. To receive a refund please email support@statalabs.com by November 21, 2004.

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Will there be upgrades available for Bloomba or SAproxy Pro?
At this time, there are no plans to offer upgrades for Bloomba or SAproxy Pro.

[...]

Will Yahoo! sell Bloomba or SAproxy Pro?
At this time there are no plans for Yahoo! to sell Bloomba or SAproxy Pro.

Where can I purchase Bloomba or SAproxy Pro?
Bloomba and SAproxy Pro are no longer available for purchase.

Can resellers continue to sell Bloomba or SAproxy Pro?
Stata Labs products are no longer available for sale through resellers.

I think it's safe to say it's off the market, which is a shame. I looked at Bloomba and thought it had potential, as did Rick Klau. Their main problem was their market -- mainly SOHO and smaller businesses. Hmm... Yahoo! acquired an e-mail program with exceptionally fast search capabilities. With only a little presumption required on my part, it's pretty obvious that Yahoo! purchased the technology to develop their own Gmail service. Keep an eye out for it.

Topic(s):   Web Wizardry
Posted by Jeff Beard
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