Zumobi launches beta version of mobile widget platform

December 17, 2007

Cindy Spodek Dickey is vice president of marketing at Zumobi

The Zumobi beta version of its Zooming User Interface and mobile widget platform is now available for download on Windows Mobile phones.

Amazon.com, MTV Networks, the Associated Press, AccuWeather.com, Traffic.com, FlightStats.com and OTOlabs, which developed Tiles for Vail Resorts and Fox Television's "Family Guy," are some of the partners launching Zumobi Tiles.

"At this time Zumobi is targeting folks who use or want to use their phones to pull information and entertainment and those with an all-you-can-eat data plan," said Cindy Spodek Dickey, vice president of marketing at Zumobi, Seattle. "By nature, this tends to be professionals, men and women ages 24-45."

Zumobi seeks to revolutionize the way people access, retrieve and share Web-based content on their mobile phones.

The first beta version of Zumobi is available for phones running Windows Mobile 5 and 6, with BlackBerry and selected J2ME compatibility coming early in the second quarter of next year. A data plan is required. Unlimited data plans are strongly recommended.

Through a simple user interface, Zumobi allows people to "bounce" in and out of snack-sized bits of the entertainment they want and stay on top of the information they need throughout the day. This way, advertisers have a better way to connect with consumers through their mobile phones.

"Perfect convergence-devices are becoming more and more advanced but easier to use," Ms. Spodek Dickey said. "Advertisers and marketers are recognizing this and having to act accordingly.

"In this beta stage, we are hoping to polish, refine and improve this product based on consumer feedback," she said. "And in 2008 we want to deliver on the promise of cross-platform compatibility and device neutrality."