Zingy Changes Names To Vindigo; Closes Ringtone Division; Some Layoffs
By Rafat Ali - Tue 09 Oct 2007 04:41 PM PST
Talk about ironies: Zingy, the NYC-based ringtone and other kinds of mobile content retailer, is closing its oldest division and changing its name to a brand it bought and killed two years ago: it is being renamed Vindigo. Scott Jensen, who joined Zingy in 2006 and was serving as SVP and head of business development, has been appointed new CEO...previous CEO William Mills was appointed a year ago.
As a result of this reorg, the company is closing down its “personalization services” division, meaning it will do away with its ringtones, wallpapers and other content apps. What it will focus on is slightly confusing, from the statement: “Our new strategic direction leverages our strengths as market leader in network-aware applications and refocuses us on the high growth opportunities in mobile entertainment, which today are cross platform applications, mobile advertising, and casual games.” This says it more clearly: the company will develop more mobile applications similar to Vindigo’s MapQuest Mobile, MovieGoer, and Vindigo City Guide applications, in effect going back to Vindigo’s original charter.
The company will do some layoffs, it said, with some employees being redeployed in the remaining divisions.
Zingy/Vindigo is still a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japanese mobile content company For-Side, which bought them three years ago. I won’t be surprised if the company finally gets sold off...For-Side tried for while last year, but went nowhere.
Posted in: Entertainment, Mobile Music






