UTStarcom Invests in Cloud Video Platform Company
UTStarcom, 11/14/12
Chinese network solutions provider UTStarcom (Nasdaq: UTSI) has acquired a 'significant minority stake' in aioTV Inc. (all-in-one TV), an international cloud-based video aggregation and distribution platform. The deal gives UTStarcom access to technology that will bolster its rollout of subscription-based value added media services, while giving aioTV a partner with whom to offer its technology in emerging markets in Asia.
U.S.-based aioTV's middleware platform combines conditional access and content management tools for network operators to aggregate multiple sources of content into a consistent TV-like experience across connected devices. The technology locates and aggregates Internet and licensed video content metadata and ultimately delivers a common experience and content to viewers on a range of connected devices, namely any device that supports an HTML5 environment. aioTV currently works with many consumer electronics makers, cable and telecommunications service providers and broadcast partners in North America, South America, Europe and the Middle East to provide their middleware platform to millions of customers.
UTStarcom will look for opportunities to offer aioTV's technology in Asia where it has relationships with regional cable service providers and broadcasters. The aioTV platform will allow these operators to package and control a mixture of web content, licensed linear, and video on demand (VOD) content into a consistent video experience that runs across connected devices in any language and on any broadband network. In the long-term, UTStarcom will also look for opportunities to jointly develop new service offerings with aioTV in collaboration with the company's other strategic partners, such as iTV Media.
Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "iTV Media to Use aioTV Content Delivery Platform" MD 10/22/12 issue.
Keywords: M&A middleware television UTSI UTStarcom aioTV investment overseas cloud computing
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