Zingy Changes Names To Vindigo; Closes Ringtone Division; Some Layoffs
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.
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Comments (39)
Oct 10, 2007 10:27 AM
some layoffs?
that’s like saying mama cass was just a little fat
Oct 10, 2007 10:37 AM
anyone have thoughts on why they are existing ringtones and wallpapers?
Oct 10, 2007 10:42 AM
Does this mean no more Free Murda content??
Oct 10, 2007 10:43 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!
Oct 10, 2007 10:48 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.
Oct 10, 2007 10:51 AM
good for you scott - good luck!
Oct 10, 2007 11:21 AM
shut down the whole company wast of time!!!
Oct 10, 2007 11:38 AM
The original works were a huge mess that’s why it is all the way downhill. Morons are morons.
Oct 10, 2007 11:49 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.
Oct 10, 2007 11:51 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!”
Oct 10, 2007 11:55 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?
Oct 10, 2007 12:32 PM
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.
Oct 10, 2007 12:34 PM
Cell phones are a fad anyway. They’ll be gone in weeks.
Oct 10, 2007 1:17 PM
Actually, the management team and those so called “Directors” were not know the Business Model, Software Methodologies. So called “experience” could not help.
Oct 10, 2007 1:32 PM
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.
Oct 10, 2007 5:22 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.
Oct 10, 2007 6:13 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.
Oct 10, 2007 6:34 PM
spencer…have you met jensen?
Oct 10, 2007 6:36 PM
Was Spencer’s Comment meant to be a joke?
Oct 11, 2007 1:09 AM
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oct 11, 2007 11:30 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.
Oct 12, 2007 5:32 PM
Can someone answer my question. What is happening to the premium mobile content business?
Oct 15, 2007 10:14 AM
How many CEOs it has?
Oct 15, 2007 11:35 AM
I Heard Debson’s really from Ohio. Canton to be exact.
Oct 15, 2007 2:47 PM
Look at those url.
zingyinc plus management.php
zingyinc plus team.php
zingy plus team.php”
Nov 30, 2007 1:40 PM
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!
Dec 3, 2007 3:19 PM
Just Andy Volanakis? How about those helpers around him?
Dec 4, 2007 9:53 AM
How about other CEOs?
Dec 4, 2007 6:53 PM
Anyone knows in what company he’s whipping employees now?
Dec 5, 2007 12:01 PM
How about these “CEOs” behind the stage? any ideas?
Dec 6, 2007 2:37 PM
I don’t know, Panaka. Who are you referring to? Any juicy info?
Jan 4, 2009 1:14 PM
Ask Rev. and olders of the church where Ming-Horng Shyu (Cheng)‘s parent going and they know what’s going on.
Jan 6, 2009 2:32 PM
And they will tell how his parents behaved like sorcerers in Church.
Mar 26, 2009 2:44 PM
The Sorcercers are still jumping but fading away quickly.
Apr 2, 2009 12:50 PM
the rat congregationers are still jumping too.
Apr 8, 2009 3:06 PM
Hmmmm ....what are you guys talking about? Sounds intriguing. Please explain.
Apr 8, 2009 6:48 PM
Those should understood would understood. it is that simple.
Apr 28, 2009 1:10 PM
Still jumping? Two companies already collapsed by the jumpers. How many more to collapsed? It is truly rat congregationers.
Jun 17, 2009 11:25 AM
One jumper of rat congregationers, Sorcercers was dumped. More to come, stay tuned…
From Simura Mon 01 Jun 2009 08:25 AM
What are you jumping for? For yourself? For your child? The child you are jumping for is too moron to be nurtured and too greedy to be nurtured in Church. P.H.D doesn’t know basic concepts of CS?