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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



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31 Responses:
  • From ex-employee Wed 10 Oct 2007 07:27 AM

    some layoffs?

    that’s like saying mama cass was just a little fat

  • From jonathan Wed 10 Oct 2007 07:37 AM

    anyone have thoughts on why they are existing ringtones and wallpapers?

  • From Booyah Achieved Wed 10 Oct 2007 07:42 AM

    Does this mean no more Free Murda content??

  • From G-Unit Wed 10 Oct 2007 07:43 AM

    WOAH!  Wait, where am I going to get those awesome G-Unit games they made?  They were ALL the rage and sold millions when they came out!

  • From ex-Employee in Montreal Wed 10 Oct 2007 07:48 AM

    Did anyone think that it would last any longer than that?  I told my colleagues that it would last 3-5 years max!  I guess Hugo left at the right time.

  • From dave Wed 10 Oct 2007 07:51 AM

    good for you scott - good luck!

  • From GOTTI Wed 10 Oct 2007 08:21 AM

    shut down the whole company wast of time!!!

  • From dovetaylor Wed 10 Oct 2007 08:38 AM

    The original works were a huge mess that’s why it is all the way downhill. Morons are morons.

  • From ex-employee Wed 10 Oct 2007 08:49 AM

    It took them more than a year and a half to do what we told them to do.  Too late now!

    They didn’t get it when they blew their carrier deals, the didn’t get it when they blew money on Bernie Mac voicetones...the only thing they finally got right is getting rid of the guy that made most of the horrible decisions and spoke with a fake british accent.

  • From ex-employee Wed 10 Oct 2007 08:51 AM

    common philosophy:

    “hey lets sign a million deals with a ton of really really small companies and take engineers away from making nextel and at&t;happy.  that’ll be sure to win us big money!”

  • From ex-employee Wed 10 Oct 2007 08:55 AM

    At least Scott Debson has a job waiting for him at Oasys, Ericsson, Motricity, MTV, ATT, Sprint, HBO, Cinemax, Penthouse, Hustler and the Bronx Zoo.  But what about the rest of us?

  • From Ringtone Hater Wed 10 Oct 2007 09:32 AM

    This company is AWFUL. Way to screw over your ENTIRE company. Good luck to all the “new” employees. Some employees redeployed? Who 2? This company SUCKS.

  • From Ringtone Hater Wed 10 Oct 2007 09:34 AM

    Cell phones are a fad anyway. They’ll be gone in weeks.

  • From zarahofa Wed 10 Oct 2007 10:17 AM

    Actually, the management team and those so called “Directors” were not know the Business Model, Software Methodologies. So called “experience” could not help.

  • From midirulez Wed 10 Oct 2007 10:32 AM

    So this is what they meant by “Get Dfrnt?” Running Fabrice’s insanely profitable company off the road and into a ditch like it was a rental car?
    I guess that really is dfrnt than the sane way to do business.

  • From Tyrohne Wed 10 Oct 2007 02:22 PM

    Just what mobile content needs, another mediocre applications company.  Now the fund raising begins.  I’m betting they get enough to eke by.  Lamers.

  • From Spencer Wed 10 Oct 2007 03:13 PM

    With Scott Jensen as the new CEO Zingy is well equipped to expand into the application, gaming, and mobile advertising markets. There isn’t another mobile company in the U.S. that boasts a larger distribution network, plus they’re in NYC, very cool.

  • From jon Wed 10 Oct 2007 03:34 PM

    spencer...have you met jensen?

  • From mocorocker Wed 10 Oct 2007 03:36 PM

    Was Spencer’s Comment meant to be a joke?

  • From Funk This Wed 10 Oct 2007 10:09 PM

    Spencer? Scott Jensen just use your real name- Spencer sooo creative! Some lay- offs? 20 people is some??  “...with some employees being redeployed in the remaining divisions.” What a lie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • From Babycakes Thu 11 Oct 2007 08:30 AM

    Everyone here is a wizard… just like my dad.  However, a few of you are nothing masters, and aren’t prepared for when life attacks; good luck with that.  I’ll be thirty next month, and I plan on living forever, but I’m leaving that up to science right now. Enjoy your time away from the playboy man babies. Use it to go to the lake, and sing songs to the lake, about the lake. Because, worst thing about living here, is that you can only kill yourself once. But shit matters, even if we can’t figure it out. Even if we are ruled by devils. Even if my dies don’t mean anything. I just hope I die while hugging, and not in a wine drinking contest.

    See you at role play.

  • From jonathan Fri 12 Oct 2007 02:32 PM

    Can someone answer my question. What is happening to the premium mobile content business?

  • From zandan Mon 15 Oct 2007 07:14 AM

    How many CEOs it has?

  • From ex employee Mon 15 Oct 2007 08:35 AM

    I Heard Debson’s really from Ohio. Canton to be exact.

  • From dahara Mon 15 Oct 2007 11:47 AM

    Look at those url.

    zingyinc plus management.php
    zingyinc plus team.php
    zingy plus team.php”

  • From Kanaa Fri 30 Nov 2007 10:40 AM

    Let’s all thank Andy Volanakis for that mess! It took him 1 year to destroy all the juicy deals they had in place with the carriers. Thank you also for all his wise business decisions!

  • From Babana Mon 03 Dec 2007 12:19 PM

    Just Andy Volanakis? How about those helpers around him?

  • From jalaba Tue 04 Dec 2007 06:53 AM

    How about other CEOs?

  • From Kanaa Tue 04 Dec 2007 03:53 PM

    Anyone knows in what company he’s whipping employees now?

  • From Panaka Wed 05 Dec 2007 09:01 AM

    How about these “CEOs” behind the stage? any ideas?

  • From Kanaa Thu 06 Dec 2007 11:37 AM

    I don’t know, Panaka. Who are you referring to? Any juicy info?

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