Microsoft spins off ZenZui mobile browser

Microsoft announced ZenZui today, a content browser for use with mobile phones. ZenZui was developed in Microsoft's Redmond Research lab but has now been launched into its own independent venture.

The ZenZui browser makes use of Microsoft's patented Zooming User Interface to zoom in, out, and pan through a "tile"-based grid. Each tile in the grid displays a widget-like, optimized version of a web page for display on the mobile phone, and the ZenZui interface can currently zoom through up to 36 different tiles. It can be controlled via touchscreen or number/control pad on a mobile phone, although based on the promotional video, it looks as if controlling it via touchscreen is the way it was intended to be used.

However, the web-based "tiles" of the ZenZui are not determined by the user and cannot be used to browse just any web pages—the options are predefined based on what mobile apps the company considers to be valuable to the grid. Most of those apps will be sponsored by advertisers, so ZenZui is in fact selling tile space—the company justifies this by saying that everyday consumers are "terrified about the idea of spam on our mobile phones," and therefore everything that is displayed to the user is tied to specific brands. ZenZui is trying to spur development by offering a cut of the advertising revenue with developers whose apps are chosen. Developers can opt not to be sponsored, however, and if their apps are chosen for the grid, they will be displayed along with a message from a nonprofit instead.

ZenZui already has four companies on board for launch: Kayak.com, an air/hotel/car reservation service; OTOlabs, an interactive marketing company with clients such as The Family Guy; Avenue A | Razorfish, another web/interactive agency; and Traffic.com, which provides traffic information for commuters. "This hyper-localized content platform allows us to engage our users multiple times per day, and the rich visual capabilities offered by ZenZui enhance users' dynamic interaction with the traffic news crucial to their daily lives," said Traffic.com CEO Christopher Rothey in a statement.

ZenZui likely won't have problems finding more developers for the platform, especially with the temptation of shared advertising revenue. But its success will truly depend on the rate of mobile adoption of the interface. Similar "widget"-like interfaces already on the market include those from bluepulse and Widset, but the Microsoft name might give ZenZui a little more of a head start than others. ZenZui's interface is currently only available for Windows Mobile devices, although it's rumored that the company plans to release other versions later in 2007.