iStreamPlanet Preps Multi-Platform Video Management System

Written by Ryan Lawler

Wednesday, November 26. 2008 at 12:30 PM EST Post a comment

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iStreamPlanet Co. is readying a new video management platform that will support Flash, Silverlight, and Move Networks file formats in a single offering.

Stop us if you've heard this pitch before. The new browser-based video management platform, which iStreamPlanet plans to introduce next month, can handle all workflows, asset management, and distribution -- even editing! -- for media companies looking to put their video on the Web.

But iStreamPlanet has one thing that CEO Mio Babic claims the others don't have, which is a system that has been built from the ground up to natively support management of video assets from multiple sources and across multiple file formats.

"The system is content source and delivery mechanism agnostic," Babic says.

In English, that translates to a system that can input content from any source and distribute it in a range of formats, including support for Adobe Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: ADBE)'s Flash, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT)'s Windows Media and Silverlight, and Move Networks Inc. formats.

The platform was developed out of expertise gained from iStreamPlanet's managed services business. The company has worked on a number of live projects over the last several years, including providing Webcasting technology behind the Democratic National Convention, the Adobe CS4 launch, and AT&T blue room's music festival broadcasts.

But each of those projects required a good deal of professional services to make them work, so iStreamPlanet started piecing together technology that would simplify the process. In doing so, the company developed a video player that would support Flash and Silverlight, and is now adding Move Networks technology.

The company also has integrated workflow management and different monetization schemes into the mix. Another big plus is real-time reporting and analytics, "so you don't have to wait two weeks to see how many people watched your video," Babic says.

Finally, the platform allows customers to create sub-accounts, so that large media conglomerates looking to centralize on a single management system can provide separate accounts to each of their media properties.

That's important, because in today's economy, Babic says, the need for centralized asset management is increasing. "When you look at the market space, the media and entertainment industry is going to slow down. They're looking to find ways to automate and cut costs."

iStreamPlanet's new video management platform will pit it against similar offerings from more established players in the segment, like Brightcove Inc. , thePlatform Inc. , and others. And the new product is coming to market just as a number of video management companies -- including Brightcove, ExtendMedia Inc. , and The FeedRoom -- have announced upgrades to their own systems.

Babic says iStreamPlanet is putting the finishing touches on the new video platform, which is currently in beta trials with a couple of large media customers. The company plans to announce general availability next month when the final kinks have been worked out, and when the company has a large customer it can name with the launch of the product.

The platform will be sold on two models: a SaaS model where iStreamPlanet hosts and manages all the infrastructure, and a licensing model where companies can install the platform on their own infrastucture. Either way, customers will get free upgrades as iStreamPlanet adds features -- which it intends to continue to do.

According to Babic, the company has a 9-month road map of new features to add, including adding Microsoft's PlayReady DRM, adding support for iPhone workflows, and adding Silverlight Mobile and Flash Mobile.

"We're going to continue to innovate, and as a customer, you will get all the upgrades from us for free," Babic says.