SEATTLE — Weber Shandwick’s former global tech lead Tim Fry has resurfaced with his own consultancy — 468 Communications.

Fry had been with Weber for 18 years, including 1.5 years as global head of technology when he somewhat abruptly parted ways with the firm last July.

"I’ve decided to take a different direction with my career and took some time off last summer to take a step back and get some perspective," Fry told the Holmes Report.

Fry noted it’s "early days" and he doesn’t plan to fully launch the new venture for several months. The firm will focus on integrating location-based technology with offline storytelling and marketing — for instance, driving foot traffic to retailers or enhancing events.

Fry is partnering with the Seattle-based Artifact Technologies. The firm’s name — 468 — is the telephone prefix on Lopez Island where Fry now resides. Because its population is so small, all the residents use “468” as their prefix, so phone numbers are only four digits.

“When I first moved here, I kept seeing four digits and thought it was an island code,” Fry said. “It represents how different communities find different ways to communicate.”