This may be an insignificant step for IE but it’s a big move for Rediff. For it marks the first attempt by India’s largest internet company to go beyond being just a web portal to making web products (or pdt extensions). For Rediff has launched a toolbar for Internet Explorer (5.5 & above). It is pretty much on the lines of the Google/Yahoo toolbars.
The toolbar has a Rediff search box, a pop up blocker, a news reader besides having buttons for directly accessing its classifieds, fare search, connexions, shopping sections etc. I downloaded the toolbar and it installed smoothly, without any glitches.
Its unlikely that Rediff would be able to get users to switch from their Google/Yahoo toolbars; but it might be able to win over some first time users, if it is able to smartly promote the toolbar on its website. Any which way, I suggest you should give the toolbar at least one try; if not for anything else, then just for the vicarious pleasure of knowing that you have an Indian toolbar in your browser.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh! that calls for using internet explorer!
Good rediff did Bol and now this Toolbar!
Shalin,
Thanks for pointing out Rediff Bol; thats another dimension to its products plans; however the toolbar is different; its almost like taking the battle right upto yahoo & google & IE
Amit,
What is interesting to me is not even the toolbar, but Rediff’s redefined email account. To me honestly, rediff, can’t compete with the likes of Yahoo! or Google because of their licensing deals with larger corporations. For ex. Adobe Acrobat Reader is bundled with Yahoo! Search. Rediff’s email is a bold move. It somewhat resembles Zimbra [http://www.zimbra.com] suite. Works like any other typical email client you install in your system, I think, Yahoo! is also testing similar interaction for their email accounts.
Its honestly a great move from Rediff’s side but the question that comes to mind is how do you make out if something is indigenously developed or just skinned from a product offerring from a US company? I know that the SMS Messenger Chikka provided by indiatimes is one such product.
Also, I feel rediff should get more creative and try to cash in on its “Indianness” rather than compete with world players. (eg: getting serious of Indian maps etc.)
Indian IT has always been very good at implementing, its time we get high on creativity too?
I think when it comes to similar web-products, there will always be a sense of ‘deja vu’. Thats what google and yahoo toolbar users will think while going through the rediff toolbar. Nonetheless its an effort worth appreciating rediff for. Their new look e-mail also looks really sleek, i find it better looking than yahoo mail beta. The later looks cluttered and has too many glitches (its forced me to return to original yahoo mail). I hope rediff makes its beta version snag-free.
Vikram
Rajesh,
I love your suggestion about somebody (maybe Rediff) doing a good mapping application for India. The only India level mapping service, (mapmyindia.com) sucks. And you need a certain scale to attempt something like that. Its difficult to imagine a lone, cash starved startup making much headway on that. The big portals are probably best positioned to take a serious shot at that space.
Try MapmyIndia v-2007. I think it is a great start.
its very help ful tool for every user
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