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.
