Zagat takes equity stake in Vindigo; brings comprehensive
local restaurant ratings and reviews to handheld devices.
New York—June 5, 2000—zagat.com, the Web's premiere
provider of survey-based dining, lodging, and leisure information,
and Vindigo, the leading developer of personal navigation applications
for handheld devices, today jointly announced a strategic alliance
to bring Zagat's world-renowned local dining information to Vindigo's
free mobile service for major metropolitan cities. Beginning today,
Vindigo users in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and
Washington, D.C. will be able to access Zagat's consumer-based
restaurant ratings and reviews. Zagat content will also be included
in each new market to which Vindigo expands. Additionally, Zagat
will receive an equity stake in Vindigo.
Vindigo offers people an insider's guide and insight into things
to do and places to go in major cities by arming users with the
timely local content they need to make fast, informed decisions
about where to Eat, Shop, and Play, whenever and wherever they
are. Users can download the application, free of charge, from
the Vindigo Web site, www.vindigo.com.
With the addition of Zagat's content, Vindigo now offers users
access to Zagat restaurant ratings based on its proprietary 30-point
scale covering food, décor, service, and cost, as well as its
signature succinct, witty restaurants reviews. Similar to the
Zagat Survey Web site and dining guides, diners can choose a restaurant
via location, cuisine, and price range. In addition, users will
be able to submit their own restaurant reviews to zagat.com directly
through Vindigo from their handheld device, each time users sync
their Palm devices.
"Our alliance with Vindigo is proof of the commitment we've made
to our customers to offer Zagat content to people, wherever and
whenever users want it," said Tim Zagat, co-founder of the Zagat
Survey and zagat.com. "Millions of people currently use handheld
devices to organize and simplify their lives. Vindigo is one of
the best lifestyle applications for mobile devices that we have
seen. Now Vindigo users will have a much easier time selecting,
locating, and enjoying the restaurants they choose."
"As one of the most highly trusted sources for lifestyle information,
Zagat is a natural partner for Vindigo," said Jason Devitt, co-founder
and CEO of Vindigo. "Zagat's restaurant ratings and reviews deliver
the quality and level of detail our users need to make fast, informed
decisions every time."
Vindigo instantly adapts to a user's location and interests to
serve as a lifestyle resource for on-the-fly activities and decisions.
Users tell Vindigo where they are, by selecting the closest intersection
or neighborhood, and what they want to do. Vindigo can then make
suggestions based on their interests and provides directions to
the specified destination. Each version of Vindigo offers listings,
reviews, and directions for the most popular restaurants, bars,
stores, and movies.
Availability
Vindigo for Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Washington,
D.C. with Zagat's restaurant information is available, free-of-charge,
from the Vindigo website at www.vindigo.com.
System Requirements
Vindigo is compatible with all devices based on the Palm OS™ including
the Palm Professional, Palm III, Palm V, and Palm VII (in offline
mode) series from Palm Inc., the Handspring Visor, IBM WorkPad,
and the Symbol Technologies SPT 1500 and 1700 series. It also
supports wireless syncronization using the Omnisky wireless platform
or any Palm-compatible modem such as the Novatel Minstrel. Regardless
of a user's preferred connection method, Vindigo ensures that
the information is accurate and up to date every time a consumer
syncs their device.
Minimum system requirements for the desktop component of the
software are Palm OS v2.0.5, Windows 95 or 98 (Windows NT users
require service pack 3), Netscape Navigator 3.0 or Internet Explorer
4.0, and Palm Hotsync Manager 2.0. Vindigo takes up at least 410K
of memory on a Palm-compatible device, the exact amount depending
on the options a user selects
About Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey is the premiere provider of survey-based dining,
lodging, and leisure information. It offers content in book form,
on the Internet at www.zagat.com, on Palm Pilot OS and on mobile
phones. Zagat Survey is a privately held corporation founded by
Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979, and backed by General Atlantic Partners;
Kleiner, Perkins Caufield & Byers; Allen & Company; founding Microsoft
CTO Nathan Myhrvold; MIT Media Lab's Nicholas Negroponte; and
Nancy Peretsman, a leading investment banker specializing in the
media field. For more information, visit www.zagat.com.
About Vindigo
Vindigo creates resource-rich software for mobile devices that
allows people to explore, enjoy, and connect to the world around
them. The company's core product, also called Vindigo, transforms
Palm Inc. organizers and compatibles into personal navigators.
It delivers location-specific information about the limitless
choices of places to go and things to do in popular cities. Combining
mobility with an insider's insight and in-depth expert reviews
from the nation's most trusted local sources—including
the New York Times, zagat.com, and the San Francisco Chronicle—Vindigo
instantly adapts to a user's location and interests. Vindigo gives
busy people the ability to make quick, savvy, lifestyle decisions
about where to eat, shop and play, whenever and wherever they
are.
Vindigo is a privately held company backed by General Atlantic
Partners LLC, Flatiron Partners, Carlin Ventures, and select private
investors. The company's headquarters are located at 259 W. 30th
Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10001. For information, contact
Vindigo at: (212) 741-0715 or via the Web at www.vindigo.com.
Editor's Note:
Screen shots with a viewable contact sheet at the following FTP site:
ftp://209.239.171.239/vindigo/index.htm
