Comcast this week launched a new division that combines three of its media and tech businesses – Comcast Wholesale, thePlatform and This Technology.

That unit, now called Comcast Technology Solutions, is led by division SVP and GM Matt McConnell.

Comcast acquired This Technology, a vendor that is playing a role in its IP video transition, in 2015. Comcast acquired thePlatform, a Seattle-based online video publishing specialist, back in 2006 for what’s believed to be about $100 million.

Earlier this year, Comcast Wholesale and thePlatform rolled out theVideoPlatform, billing it as a unified system for the distribution of broadcast and digital video to multiple screens, a move that placed it in more direct competition with companies such as MLB Advanced Media, Verizon Digital Media Services (VDMS), NeuLion, and Ooyala, Akamai, Amazon Web Services, and IBM (which recently bought Clearleap and Ustream), among others.

The newly-formed unit recently won a deal to underpin Time Inc.’s new ad-supported, multiplatform People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). Comcast Technology Soltuions said it worked with Perfect Sense Digital to create PEN’s user interface.

“Comcast Technology Solutions is at the nexus of broadcast and IP convergence. By bringing our technologies together, we provide the greatest breadth and depth of media distribution, management and monetization solutions in the industry,” McConnell said in a statement. 

Marty Roberts, the co-CEO and long-time exec of Comcast-owned online video thePlatform, has left the company, it was confirmed.

GeekWire first reported of Roberts’s departure on Monday.

Roberts and Jamie Miller were named co-CEOs of thePlatform in May 2014, a move that came after Ian Blaine, thePlatform’s co-founder and former CEO, stepped down and took on a temporary role of strategic advisor.

Miller will continue to be responsible for thePlatform, which is now aligned under Matt McConnell, SVP and GM of Comcast Wholesale, the Colorado-based unit that operates a content delivery network, supports multiscreen video services, and recently introduced a live streaming service.

Seattle-based thePlatform was founded in 2000. Comcast acquired the company in 2006 for what’s believed to be about $100 million.

The leadership changes enter play as thePlatform becomes more tightly aligned with Comcast Wholesale.

“In mid-2015, thePlatform aligned with Comcast Wholesale to build market-leading products to serve the worldwide video industry,” thePlatform said, in a statement. “After early successes with customers it became clear that an even tighter alignment across the two organizations would allow for a more rapid expansion and optimization of the combined portfolios to meet the ever-expanding needs of customers.

“The leadership team,” the company added, “recognized the need to have a central point of leadership at thePlatform, and a common vision, to support a tighter alignment of the organization and build forward-thinking technology products. As such, thePlatform will continue to be aligned under Matt McConnell, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Comcast Wholesale.  Jamie Miller will continue to report to Matt and be responsible for thePlatform.  Marty Roberts, who previously served as co-CEO of thePlatform, will be leaving the company.”

Roberts joined thePlatform in 2006 and, before being named co-CEO, served as the company’s SVP of worldwide sales and marketing. During his tenure, thePlatform saw its customer base grow to the bulk of the top 50 most-watched cable networks, including USA Network, History, Channel, A+E and E!. thePlatform also works with several major MVPDs, such as Liberty Global, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision Systems Corp., Cox Communications, Rogers Communication, Telstra and corporate cousins Comcast and NBCUniversal, and has recently inked strategic deals with partners such as Adobe, Alcatel-Lucent, and Verizon Digital Media Services. Examples of OTT/SVOD partners include shomi, Stan, Viaplay, and Starz Play Arabia.

In June, thePlatform launched a cloud-based Unified Ingest Service aimed at simplifying the the management of how video and its associated metadata is ingested and managed for a wide range of device types, including older set-tops that use QAM/MPEG-2 transport as well as IP-capable tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles and streaming players. 

thePlatform, the Comcast-owned online video unit, said it has been picked by Parsifal Entertainment Group to provide the backend and video management publishing system for Starz Play Arabia, a recently launched over-the-top,  direct-to-consumer multiplatform subscription VOD service that is being offered in select markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Launched on April 2, Starz Play Arabia is offered in several countries, including Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia. The service currently supports more than 4,000 hours of movies and TV shows for the equivalent of $12.99 per month, and is offered on Web browsers, iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, the Humax H1 IP set-top. Subscribers can register as many as five devices, and stream simultaneously on two.

The service is powered by thePlatform’s cloud-based mpx video publishing system, including video ingest and metadata workflows, to support viewers across IP-connected devices.

“We’re fully committed to giving people a groundbreaking subscription video service leveraging STARZ PLAY Arabia’s incredible content library and brand,” said Saleem Bhatti, CIO of Starz Play Arabia, in a statement. “Part of that commitment means using a back-end system with proven scale and versatility, which is why we turned to thePlatform.”

“We’re extremely proud to have been selected to play such a key role for STARZ PLAY Arabia in these growing international markets,” added Marty Roberts, co-CEO, thePlatform. “The service offers subscribers a compelling new choice in premium video entertainment, and we’re confident that mpx will deliver the enterprise-grade reliability and capabilities required to support the service now and into the future.”

In addition to recent wins with the Stan service in Australia and the shomi subscription SVOD service from Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications, thePlatform also works with several other programmers and MVPDs, including USA Network, History Channel, A+E, E!, Syfy, Travel Channel Media, CBS, FOX, NBCUniversal, CBC, Bell Media, Shaw Media, Liberty Global, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision Systems, Cox Communications, BT and Telstra. 

thePlatform, the Comcast-owned online video publisher, has landed a deal to supply the cloud-based video management system powering two new OTT channels from Cinedigm -- CONtv and the Dove Channel. 

Cinedigm, a distributor and aggregator of independent content, is using thePlatform’s flagship backend platform, mpx, for CONtv, a joint venture of Cinedigm and Wizard World geared toward the Comic Con community, and the Dove Channel, a new family-friendly digital network from The Dove Foundation. 

CONtv is being offered free under an ad-supported streaming model, as well as a premium subscription option for $6.99/month that includes exclusive access to Comic Con events, panels, talent, and other related content. Programs in its library include Voltron, Hellraiser, and Stargate Infinity. 

The Dove Channel is set to launch this fall, and will feature series, shows and movies such as VeggieTales, Fraggle Rock, and Where the Red Fern Grows. 

Those services will be accessible on several platforms, including Web browsers, Roku boxes, iOS and Android devices, Xbox consoles and Samsung devices. 

“Cinedigm continues to propel the industry forward with robust digital entertainment networks, like ConTV and the Dove Channel,” said Marty Roberts, co-CEO of thePlatform, in a statement.  “As a testament to the speed, flexibility and scalability of our solution, we’re excited to play a key role in supporting Cinedigm’s video publishing efforts across some of its newest, multiplatform initiatives.

thePlatform’s customers also include USA Network, History Channel, A+E, E!, NBCU, Travel Channel Media, CBC, Bell Media, Shaw Media, Liberty Global, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Rogers, BT, and Telstra, among others. 

thePlatform, the Comcast-owned online video publishing firm, aims to simplify the world of multiscreen VOD with a service that unifies the management of how video and its associated metadata is ingested and managed for a wide range of device types. 

Looking to breakdown silos that have traditionally hindered such efforts, thePlatform claims that its new cloud-based Unified Ingest Service can handle the job across devices – from older set-tops that use QAM/MPEG-2 transport to newer IP-capable tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles and streaming players.

Typically, a pay TV operator’s ingest systems manage linear, VOD and online video and the associated metadata via distinct systems. VOD content, for example, usually has its own metadata package with its own descriptions and box art, as does OTT.

The goal now, said thePlatform co-CEO Marty Roberts, is to stitch all of that together under one standard specification, noting that companies such as Netflix and Amazon already standardize around one high quality mezzanine video file that can be used to deliver to a variety of devices, bit rates and resolutions.

“The [pay TV] operators are coming around to that same idea,” he said, noting that “job number one” is to clean up that ingest process with the video files themselves.

This process also involves a similar alignment of metadata  from sources such as Rovi, Gracenote and Red Bee, among others. Additionally, thePlatform's new service can be made to default to metadata used for OTT video, which is usually optimized for online discovery. thePlatform, Roberts explained, can then set up rules to rationalize the metadata for one centralized “store” that can talk to legacy set-tops as well as new IP-connected devices.

He said thePlatform co-developed this Unified Ingest Service with an unnamed customer and is in the process of deploying it with multiple clients. In addition to Comcast, some of the vendor’s known partners include Liberty Global, Cox Communications, Rogers Communications, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision Systems.

It will compete with content management systems from suppliers such as Ericsson, Cisco Systems and, to a degree, SeaChange International.

Roberts said the new ingest offering, sold under a software-as-a-service model, is primarily targeted to pay TV operators as they face off with how to scale up and simplify their workflow as they supply live programming to a greater number of device types and as VOD libraries continue to expand  -- some contain about 250,000 choices, but could have about 1 million titles moving in and out of window at any given time.

thePlatform is pitching the new offering as part of its flagship publishing platform, mpx, or as a standalone service.

“Right now, the act of collecting video and metadata is a real mess,” Roberts said in a statement. “We’ve invested in our Unified Ingest System to help operators tackle this issue and create a new foundation for innovation. In fact, we already provide this kind of functionality to support more than 20 million pay TV subscribers across STBs and other devices. So, we decided to productize it, and make it generally available to the broader cable, telco, and satellite TV provider community, starting today.”  

thePlatform, the Comcast-owned online video publishing company, said it is providing the behind-the-scenes system powering shomi, the multiscreen SVOD service launched in November 2014 by Canadian operators Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications.

Shomi is using mpx, thePlatform’s cloud-based video management system for several key back-end functions, including video ingest, metadata management, subscriber management and viewing rights enforcement. It’s also tapping in for automated publishing across device and video player profiles. Shomi currently supports  the following platforms: Web browsers, the Xbox 360, iOS and Android tablets and smartphones, and on Rogers and Shaw set-top boxes. Shomi will soon extend support for the Google Chromecast adapter. 

Separately, thePlatform said its mpx video publishing system  has been picked by Stan, an SVOD service in Australia jointly run by Nine Entertainment Co and Fairfax Media Limited. Stan’s $10 per month service runs on PCs, smartphones, tablets, and on  TVs via the Chromecast and Apple TV (through AirPlay). 

Other customers of thePlatform  include A+E Networks, BT, Cablevision Systems, Cox Communications, Fox Sports, Liberty Global, Telstra, and Time Warner Cable, among others. 

In a push to help content partners rapidly turn live TV broadcasts into on-demand streams, thePlatform, the white label video publishing company owned by Comcast, has introduced mpx Replay, a component that enables broadcasters to bring “catch-up” TV to multiple screens.

mpx Replay, part of the company’s flagship mpx video publishing system, is designed to expedite the conversion of linear TV channels for catch-up or C3/C7 video, the company said. The new component also provides instant asset creation for publishing and distribution, automated metadata, pre-set availability windows, ad policy enforcement, and more monetization options. 

"mpx Replay addresses distinct, but similar, needs facing broadcasters – particularly in Europe and North America," Marty Roberts, co-CEO of thePlatform, said in a statement. "In Europe, broadcasters need a faster and more efficient way to address the growing demand for catch-up TV across any screen. In North America, broadcasters need an optimized C3 video process that keeps national ad loads intact when bringing their channels online. mpx Replay provides a streamlined, cloud-based solution for both."  

mpx Replay uses Elemental Technologies’ just-in-time packaging for adaptive bit rate distribution for a range of streaming platforms, including Apple HLS, Smooth Streaming, MPEG-DASH, and Adobe HDS. MP4 and MPEG-TS outputs are also supported, thePlatform said. 

thePlatform, the Comcast-owned white-label video publishing firm, has hired Michael Kurtzman as vice president of sales for the Americas; and has tapped Jouari Santiago as director of sales for Latin America.

Kurtzman previously was general manager of projekt202, a technology consulting company, where he expanded the company’s presence, and oversaw sales and delivery efforts in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to projekt202, he served as vice president and GM at iLoop Mobile. Kurtzman reports to thePlatform’s co-CEO, Marty Roberts.

Prior to joining thePlatform, Santiago, who reports to Kurtzman, was the head of product development at Shaw Communications, where he oversaw the company’s broadband video strategies across its portfolio of digital entertainment properties, including Shaw Go, Shaw VOD and Shaw Media. Previously, he served as product development manager at Canwest Publishing, where he spearheaded the development of company-wide mobile strategies, video strategies, IPTV, and digital signage initiatives.

“Michael has an impressive track record building and expanding sales channels for new technologies across the digital media industry, and his expertise will benefit our customers and sales organization as we expand our efforts around the globe,” said Roberts, in a statement. “We are also excited to have Jouari Santiago join thePlatform to strengthen our ability to meet the needs of our customers in Latin America. We are confident that both Michael and Jouari will make significant contributions to the company’s success going forward.”

As the IBC show hits the home stretch, here’s another roundup of news snippets from Amsterdam.

Check out our earlier IBC news roundups here, here, and here.

-A+E Networks and Cisco Systems said they have integrated and tested Nielsen ID3 tagging  to track viewing patterns for mobile screen services. Cisco noted that its D9036 broadcast encoder has been enhanced to deliver Nielsen  ID3 tagging, having previously released that capability on its Videoscape AnyRes Live software encoders. A+E Networks is introducing ID3 tagging to support viewer measurement on PCs, tablets and smartphones.

-Elemental Technologies said thePlatform, the Comcast-owned online video publishing unit, has upgraded its mpx Accelerate service to support video processing from Elemental. thePlatform’s mpx Accelerate product enables partners to store high-quality mezzanine video files for transcoding to a variety of formats.

-ONO, Spain’s largest cable operator in Spain, is expanding its relationship with TiVo by supporting TiVo’s cloud service APIs for multi-screen, authenticated TV Everywhere viewing options. The additions will also include cloud-focused search and discovery features and remote DVR management. ONO’s the first TiVo MSO partner to announce its use of the APIs to deliver a consistent TiVo experience across screen types. ONO said it has deployed its TiVo option to more than 400,000 active users, more than half of its user base.

-Cubiware is using the show to demo a prototype of the TiVo UI running on Evolution Digital thin-client set-tops outfitted with its CubiTV middleware platform and access to TiVo’s cloud service APIs. Cubiware said the mix is targeted to cable operators as well as satellite and IPTV service providers.

-Piksel, the recently relaunched online video publishing firm, has unveiled Piksel Mosaic, a proof-of-concept “hyper-personalized” video application that supports “context-based’ recommendations across set-tops and mobile devices. Piksel’s historic custoemrs include AT&T, BskyB, Mediaset and Sky Deutschland.

-Chipmaker Entropic Communications pumped out a bevy of announcements at IBC. Among them, Triax, an international distributor of digital TV and data gear, has added an Entropic-powered MoCA Ethernet-to-Coax Adapters to its product set. Hitron Technologies, meanwhile, has achieved MoCA 2.0 certification for the CGNM, a DOCSIS 3.0 wireless gateway that can bond up to 24 downstream channels and utilizes Entropic’ EN2710 baseband MAC/PHY and EN1410 RF transceiver/analog front-end.  Additionally, Portugal-based Novabase Digital TV Technologies has launched a new line of Digital Transport Adapters (DTAs) powered by Entropic’s EN700-series set-top box chipsets.

thePlatform, the Comcast-owned online video unit, said it has inked an expanded, multiyear agreement with BT, a top provider of TV, broadband and telephony services in the U.K.

Under the revised deal, thePlatform’s flagship mpx system will serve as the cloud-based, central video publishing system for BT TV and will support other BT-led video initiatives. Previously, thePlatform served as the back-end video management system for BT’s IP-based TV services, which now serve over one million subscribers in the UK. With the new deal, thePlatform will continue that role for BT’s new YouView+ box and host the service via thePlatform’s European datacenter. 

“By expanding our relationship with thePlatform, we are leveraging their locally hosted infrastructure and secure cloud-based software to give us the speed, flexibility and scalability required to meet our evolving needs,” said Greg McCall, COO for television and content at BT, in a statement.

“BT’s approach serves as a model for other global pay TV operators that are seeking more efficient and scalable ways to centralize video publishing via IP-based devices,” added Marty Roberts, co-CEO of thePlatform.

BT and thePlatform announced their original partnership last March, a deal that came to be after BT wound down its use of Microsoft Mediaroom, a video platform that has since been acquired by Ericsson.

Other customers of thePlatform include Bell Media, BT, Cablevision Systems, Comcast, Cox Communications, Liberty Global, Rogers Communications and Time Warner Cable, among others

thePlatform, the Comcast-owned online video publishing unit, will add some data and reporting smarts to its flagship mpx system following the integration of comScore’s Digital Analytix.

thePlatform said the integration will help its customers access an additional layer of dynamic video analytics and reporting within the mpx console, including data about video startup times, and successful and failed start attempts.

Clients of thePlatform’s mpx and mpx Essentials products were able to access metrics provided by Digital Analytix as of August 1 at no additional cost, the companies said. thePlatform’s customer list includes A+E Networks, BT, Cablevision Systems, Comcast, Cox Communications, Liberty Global, Outdoor Channel, rogers Communications, and Time Warner Cable, among others.

“As content continues to be consumed across a growing number of screens, it’s more critical than ever for publishers to have an understanding of how viewers are interacting with their content and ads,” said Ade Adeosun, comScore’s VP of digital enterprise analytics. “We look forward to working with thePlatform and its clients, providing them with the insights required to make informed decisions about their content and advertising efforts, and ultimately providing a superior experience for their viewers.”

“comScore enables us to give our customers a rich set of analytics and reporting about their videos and related advertising assets,” added Marty Roberts, co-CEO of thePlatform. “Selecting comScore is part of our ongoing commitment to choose industry partners with best-in-class services and technology to serve our clients around the globe.”

thePlatform, the online video publishing unit of Comcast, came forth with a significant executive shift on Thursday, appointing co-CEOs and announcing that Ian Blaine, thePlatform's co-founder and current CEO, will step down and transition to the role of strategic advisor, effective June 20.

Under the new structure, two existing thePlatform execs – Marty Roberts and Jamie Miller – will step in as co-CEOs and jointly manage the company’s overall corporate strategy and execution.

Roberts, who joined thePlatform in 2006 and most recently served as SVP of worldwide sales and marketing, will also lead the company’s engineering and technology activities as part of his expanded role. Alan Ramaley, CTO, and Mike Horwitz, SVP, engineering, will both report to Roberts.

Miller, who joined thePlatform in 2010 and has been serving as COO and CFO, will also oversee the company’s expansion into Europe and the Middle East. Simon McGrath, general manager, Europe, will report to Miller.

“Marty and Jamie are exceptional leaders, with the proven background, vision and passion to guide thePlatform into the future,” said Sam Schwartz, chief business development officer of Comcast Cable, in a statement. “Over the years, thePlatform has played an important role in the growth of multiscreen video for both Comcast and the broader industry, and I am confident that will continue under the leadership of Marty and Jamie. I’d like to thank Ian Blaine for his leadership and wisdom during the last decade of thePlatform’s growth.  We look forward to continuing to work with him as a strategic advisor.”

Blaine founded Seattle-based thePlatform in 2000. Comcast acquired the company in 2006 for what’s believed to be about $100 million.

In a blog post explaining his decision, Blaine said he is leaving on a “high note,” adding that thePlatform just had its “strongest quarter ever,” citing the company’s work on the Super Bowl and the Sochi Olympics.

“After working to build this company for the past fourteen years, I have decided that the time has come for me to answer the call that has been growing more insistent recently. The call is to explore new things, chase new ideas, and chart new adventures, and that’s what I plan to do,” Blaine wrote. “I will remain a strategic advisor to thePlatform. The company is near and dear to my heart, and I want to make sure that it enjoys a smooth transition and continued success.”

Of recent note, thePlatform and Adobe struck a co-selling deal for multiscreen video and authenticated TV Everywhere services that includes the integration of thePlatform’s mpx video management system with Adobe Primetime, a modular mix of its video player software development kit (SDK), data analytics, and ad-insertion services.

thePlatform’s customer roster includes A+E Networks, E!, the Golf Channel, BT, Cablevision Systems, Comcast, Cox Communications, Liberty Global, Style, Syfy, Travel Channel Media, truTV, USA Network, Viaplay, Rogers Communications, Shaw Media, and Time Warner Cable, among others.

Finding themselves frequently at the same table when it comes to multiscreen video deals, thePlatform, the white-label online video publisher owned by Comcast, and Adobe have decided to formalize that relationship and strike a strategic co-selling deal.

Under the accord, thePlatform has integrated its mpx video management system with Adobe Primetime, and the two will sell this pre-integrated mix to programmers and distributors that are looking to drive video to PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other IP-connected devices.

They believe the deal, which pairs thePlatform’s online video workflow management with Adobe Primetime’s modular mix of its video player software development kit (SDK), data analytics, ad-insertion services, will accelerate deployments and drive down total cost of ownership.

“We are incredibly complementary,” Ian Blaine, CEO of thePlatform, said, noting that the two companies recently collaborated on NBCUniversal’s multiscreen coverage of the Sochi Games. “We end up at the same table a lot of the time when talking to customers and the businesses we want to enable.”

This pre-integration, he said, will save time when compared to start-from-scratch scenarios. “I think you’re saving months of work,” Blaine said.

“We’ve seen some efforts take years,” added Ashley Still, director of product management at Adobe.

“The real goal is to enable better monetization of online TV” as it gets delivered via more platforms, Blaine said.

While thePlatform and Adobe believe their pre-integrated approach provides a foundation for multiscreen and TV Everywhere services, it doesn’t cover everything, including the integration of recommendation systems. And they say they remain open and modular enough on the video player and content management system ends to integrate products from other vendors in the ecosystem, Blaine said, but acknowledged that the majority of thePlatform’s work today does involve Adobe.

But they still stand to benefit on all deals tied to the new co-selling relationship. While Adobe and thePlatform aren’t divulging the precise nature of the business relationship, they’re “both incented to help the other one,” Blaine said.

And they claim it goes deeper than just a revenue share. “We’re not doing this as lip service, but something that will shape our roadmaps,” Blaine said.

Adobe Primetime Turns 2.0

Separately, Adobe has released the 2.0 version of Adobe Primetime that includes a new cloud-based ad insertion service for linear and on-demand content across platforms, and Concurrency Monitoring, an extension of its PayTV Pass service that allows customers to manage and monitor stream counts on a per-device basis in real-time.

At this week’s NAB show in Las Vegas, Adobe is also demonstrating its support for MPEG-DASH adaptive bit rate video packaging as its “core video engine layer,” and delivery of IP streaming of 4K/Ultra HD content. Adobe expects its 4K-optimized products to begin shipping this summer.

In addition to PC browsers, smart TVs, and Android- and iOS-powered tablets and smartphones, Adobe Primetime 2.0 also extends support to the Xbox 360 and Roku devices, the company said.