Sky Dayton resigns as Helio CEO

Mobile virtual network operator Helio announced that founding CEO Sky Dayton has resigned his post, with president and COO Wonhee Sull named as his replacement. Dayton was appointed non-executive Chairman of Helio's Board of Directors. The company said he will remain actively involved in shaping its strategy and initiatives. "Helio has reached a point in its development where I feel the timing is right for this change," Dayton said in a statement.

Dayton's move will no doubt further speculation that EarthLink (the ISP he founded in 1994) is planning to sell its stake in Helio, which it launched in association with Korean operator SK Telecom. Last fall EarthLink president and CEO Rolla Huff reiterated the company's commitment to Helio [1]: "I think that the investment that we've made there absolutely has value," Huff insisted at the time. "We have no plans to go out and sell it. It's a growing business. It's a business that we support."

In announcing Dayton's resignation, Helio also reported usage statistics for its nearly 200,000 subscribers, claiming an ARPU of $85 and a 2007 revenue run rate of over $240 million based on December actuals. Helio also reported:

• An average of over 550 text messages per member per month
• 95 percent of subscribers access the web via mobile device
• Each month, 60 percent of subscribers access MySpace via Helio and average nearly 500 page views
• In December, subscribers uploaded photos from their device to the web at a rate of five times the industry average
• 57 percent of Ocean users downloaded Helio's exclusive YouTube application within two weeks of its launch

For more on Dayton's resignation:
- read this release [2]

Related articles:
SK Telecom pumps another $270M into Helio [3]
Helio [4] squashes rumors of massive layoffs
Helio [5] to succeed where Mobile ESPN failed?
Helio [6] adds online content, feels the Heat
Helio [7] reveals plans, partners for mobile gaming