itvt

–Certifies AT&T’s Content Distribution Network
–Optimizes Media Player for Intel Atom Z5 and Moblin

Move Networks–a Utah-based company which offers patent-pending technologies for delivering live and on-demand HD-quality broadband video (its technologies are used by, among others, ABC, Discovery Communications, ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros.), and which recently announced that Microsoft had joined its Series C funding round (see article in this issue)–has formed a strategic partnership with UK-based IPTV specialist, Inuk Networks (note: the latter is best known for its Freewire platform, which offers video, voice and data services and which was initially targeted at the student market; for an in-depth overview of the company, its offerings, and its plans to expand into the US market, see [itvt]’s interview with its CEO, Marcus Liassides, in Issue 7.65). According to the companies, their partnership will see Inuk integrating Move Networks’ video publishing system, including its Move Simulcode and Move Adaptive Stream technologies, in order to deliver a combined broadband video solution for PC’s and Mac’s via Inuk’s igloo virtual set-top box software (note: for more on the igloo software, see article in this issue).

The companies say that Inuk will offer a complete wholesale solution for content owners and platform operators that will include the integrated technologies, as well as hosting, systems integration, billing, playout, support and CDN services. Their partnership will allow content owners and platform operators to offer an Internet TV experience with high-fidelity video images and near-instantaneous start, the companies claim, and also to add a standalone TV application featuring a full EPG, channel-change via the keyboard or an IR/Bluetooth remote, on-screen overlays and picture-in-picture features. “We looked at numerous peer-to-peer and traditional streaming solutions to provide an Internet delivery solution for our igloo PC solution but it’s impossible to replicate a true TV experience if you have buffering every time you channel surf,” Inuk CEO, Liassides, said in a prepared statement. “Move Networks’ technology changes that, and together we are taking Internet television to the next level by merging the best of the traditional and new online television worlds.” Added Move Networks CEO, John Edwards: “Our partnership with Inuk provides a new option in terms of user experience and also creates exciting opportunities with cable, satellite and IPTV platform operators who want to offer an off-net or multi-room solution to PC’s and Macs.” Inuk’s interactive entertainment platform allows end-users to watch video, talk on the phone and interact live with other viewers from within the same application. The company claims that this opens opportunities for monetizing customers beyond paid content with new revenue streams from targeted advertising and converged applications. Such applications already supported by the platform, according to the company, include phone integration, location-based services, instant messaging, and integration with social networking sites and applications.

In other Move Networks news:

• The company says it has certified AT&T’s content distribution network as suitable for delivering Move-enabled video content to companies and their end-users. In June, AT&T launched AT&T Digital Media Solutions, a suite of content delivery and digital media solutions, which it bills as enabling companies to package, deliver and distribute video and rich multimedia Web content across their networks to “the three screens that are core to AT&T’s multimedia strategy”–i.e. computers, televisions, and mobile computing devices such as smartphones. “The combination of AT&T’s Digital Media Solutions portfolio and Move Networks’ services helps set new standards for media and entertainment companies who are committed to delivering a true television-like experience to their growing online audiences,” Move’s John Edwards said in a prepared statement. “We are excited to work with AT&T in reaching new markets and delivering flexible solutions for reliable, scalable, high-quality Internet television services to customers on a worldwide basis.” AT&T says that it will complete deployment of around $70 million in network infrastructure and development investment by the end of the year, in order to support its digital media capabilities in the US, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan. The company claims that it is on track to have an almost six-fold increase in caching and live streaming capacity by year’s end.
• The company says that it is optimizing its media player for mobile Internet devices (MID’s) based on the Intel Atom processor Z5 series and Moblin-based software. The company is billing this optimization as enabling its media-company customers to deliver high-quality broadband TV experiences to MID users whenever and wherever they want: thus, the company says, a sports fan could view a live football game in HD while lying on the beach, a teenager could watch the latest episode of her favorite drama while being driven to school, and a business executive could watch live financial news while shopping at her local supermarket. Intel demo’d Move Networks’ adaptive Internet TV technology for Intel Atom-powered MID’s at the Intel Developer forum in San Francisco last month. “The lines between the TV, the computer, and mobile devices are blurring, while user demand for high-quality Internet television programming that they can view on all of these platforms is growing,” Move Networks’ John Edwards said in a prepared statement. “The combination of Intel’s world-class MID platform with Move Networks’ advanced Internet television streaming services should help media companies meet this growing demand and provide their audiences with engaging, high-quality mobile Internet television programming.” As a member of Intel’s MID Global Ecosystem program, Move Networks will support Intel Atom processor-based MID’s that are based on the Moblin Linux operating system. The company says that this support, along with its own common cross-platform specification, will enable device manufacturers to ensure that their products work seamlessly with the Move Player. (Note: Move Networks has also formed an integration partnership with Gotuit–see article in this issue.)
• ABC has launched the new version of the Move Networks-powered ABC.com Full Episode Player that it announced earlier this year.