[Techtaffy Newsdesk]

Max Pellegrini has been named president of RealNetworks’ Mobile Entertainment division, which delivers ring-back tone and other mobile entertainment services to carriers and device manufacturers worldwide.

Under Mr. Pellegrini, RealNetworks will continue to grow its carrier services, and also create new smartphone-based consumer services.

Mr. Pellegrini is the former chairman and CEO of Dada.net, which was a mobile Web company in North America. He joined Dada in Italy in 2000, and started the company’s U.S. operation in 2005. In 2011, Dada was acquired by Buongiorno.

Mr. Pellegrini succeeds Mike Lunsford, who is leaving the company. Mr. Lunsford was with RealNetworks for five years, most recently as executive vice president of Real’s Mobile Entertainment (formerly SaaS) division.

RealNetworks’ Mobile Entertainment division provides services to over 27 million mobile subscribers worldwide. Through partnerships with tier-one carriers like SK Telecom, T-Mobile, Verizon and Vodafone, the company delivers ring-back tones, ring tones, and music on demand. The division also runs intercarrier messaging (ICM) services in partnership with Syniverse.