Skinkers, the veteran Microsoft-funded maker of desktop alert apps and, latterly, mobile apps, is being bought by Indian mobile infrastructure firm IMImobile.
IMImobile says: “Skinkers’ capabilities will be combined with IMImobile’s DaVinci Evolved Service Platform to offer end-to-end solutions in 2 Screen interactive TV, m-commerce and customer care.”
Skinkers, which has also launched the separate Livestation TV news service, is best known for having made made desktop apps like BBC Sport’s Mini Motty. It has also made a desktop app for the NHS. More recently, it has made mobile apps for The Telegraph and the consulting firm McKinney Rogers.
“We see an increased demand for multi-device applications across our business, especially within the broadcasting and enterprise sectors,” IMI founder
Vishwanath Alluri says in the announcement. “The use of smartphones and tablets offers a new medium for communication and the consumption of content. This will not only create additional revenue opportunities for broadcasters and content owners but also allow enterprises to create an enhanced user experience to cut costs and increase loyalty.”
IMI is now building itself in to a full-service mobile agency, having also bought the content house WIN last year.
Skinkers previously took $4 million led by NewMedia SPARK and £8 million from Acacia Capital and Spark Ventures to launch Livestation. Spark was also an IMImobile investor. Once upon a time, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) licensed some P2P code to Skinkers on which to launch Livestation, for a 10 percent stake in the company.