Iconmobile Group came out of quiet mode with a pair of announcements this week. The company is launching Xbox.mobi on an international scale and welcoming a former Vodafone Group executive as its new managing director.
Xbox.mobi is a mobile portal designed for Xbox fans. It was introduced in the United States in 2007 and is now available in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Xbox fans can access Xbox.mobi on their wireless phones or devices and get access to exclusive videos, ringtones, current games catalog and other information. They can also see friends’ stats and challenge other gamers via their mobile phone to a game on their Xbox system.
Separately, Michael von Roeder was appointed new managing director at iconmobile group. Before joining iconmobile, he served as head of global user experience at Vodafone Group, where he created and led Vodafone’s global user experience capability. While at Vodafone, he was part of the initial Vodafone live! launch team, which was responsible for the first camera handset in Europe.
 |
| Fellger |
|
Iconmobile, founded in 2003 without venture capital backing, is a diversified company that has its hands in several wireless arenas. It worked with Sprint to bring the tactile design to the Samsung Instinct user interface, with Audi on a device for automobiles and a mobile ticketing solution for Vegas.com, among others.
The company employs about 150 people, with offices around the world and headquarters in Berlin. “Our strategy was very opportunistic driven,” says founding partner Thomas Fellger. Whenever business popped up in a given area, that’s when the company would establish a presence there. And not relying on VC financing – the founders bankrolled the company – has turned out to be a blessing given the current climate, he says.
The company worked under the radar for a long time while it established itself. Now, it boasts top brands as clients, including the major handset makers. WPP came in as a 40 percent investor in the company and has helped get the attention of big brands.