After almost four years of waiting, Jason Devitt believes the time is now.
Packet-switched networks are online. Mobile phones feature color graphics. And-perhaps most importantly-carriers can bill for third-party applications.
“None of those things existed when we started the company,” said Devitt, chief executive officer of wireless information and content company Vindigo Studios.
Vindigo was founded in 1999, an era of loosened venture funding and elevated Internet hype. The company’s goal at the time was to take advantage of the potential of the wireless Internet. However, Devitt saw that 1990s wireless Internet technology was not yet compatible with Vindigo’s plans, so the company quickly changed course to focus on personal digital assistants. Much more powerful than phones, PDAs could display advanced graphics and support innovative services-plus the PDA market was then in the throes of major growth.
Vindigo managed to make a name for itself with its Vindigo city guide application for PDAs, which has been downloaded more than 1 million times. The advertising-supported application provides detailed local information, driving directions and even weather forecasts.
But wireless still beckoned, and in 2001, Devitt realized it was time to invest. The deciding factor was the introduction of Java and BREW application download technology. Sun Microsystems Inc.’s Java and Qualcomm Inc.’s BREW allow mobile-phone users to download small computer applications to their handsets and then run those applications on the phones themselves.
“This was the opportunity we had been waiting for,” Devitt said. “In the last two years, we’ve devoted 100 percent of our development efforts around Java and BREW.”
Vindigo now has plenty to show for its efforts. The company still sells its city guide application for PDAs, but has added a variety of Java and BREW applications selling through carriers, including Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and Sprint PCS. The Vindigo Pictorama application allows users to scroll through various scenic vistas; the Vindigo Critter Pic features images of cats, dogs and wildlife; Vindigo’s Metromix features dining and nightlife information and directions; and Vindigo’s Moviegoer features the latest on what’s playing at the cinema.
Vindigo is also working as a development company for other brands. The company built a MapQuest mobile application, as well as a New York Times news service. The company also plans to release a downloadable application for wireless community company Upoc Inc.
“2003 has been a terrific, banner year for the company,” Devitt said.
Vindigo has generated revenues in the “multiple millions” this year, Devitt said, and counts a total of $22 million in venture funding. And next year may be even better-the company has about 10 additional titles in development and plans to sign up more carrier partners.
Devitt said much of Vindigo’s success is due to its Server-controller User-interface Definition System, or SUDS for short. The XML-based markup language ensures that all of Vindigo’s applications can render the same content, meaning that Vindigo need only format its content once and be assured it will work across a wide range of phones. For example, Vindigo can update its Moviegoer server with the week’s latest film releases, and any user who visits the server will be able to view the same content, regardless of the phone model. The technology essentially turns a Java or BREW application into a Web browser, which can then access information from Vindigo’s servers.
“You can make most of the changes on the server side … without changing the client,” Devitt said. “That gives us a lot of flexibility.”
Devitt acknowledged that Vindigo faces significant challenges in the crowded content-provider market. However, he said the company has no plans to enter the wireless gaming business, which IDC forecasts to be a $1 billion market by 2006. Devitt explained that gaming is not one of Vindigo’s core strengths.
