3ple-Media, the mobile multimedia specialist, has today announced the launch of its Mercury VideoGrab application. As part of the Mercury multimedia platform, VideoGrab allows operators to send 'As Live' video content to thousands of subscribers within seconds of original broadcast.
Clips from the raw video feed are 'grabbed' by the application and converted to push multimedia and distributed over MMS, WAP or streaming by Mercury's core multimedia engine. Operators are able to leverage VideoGrab's functionality to launch new services that make use of feeds from any source including Live TV, CCTV and the Internet.
Mercury VideoGrab extends the ability of the Mercury mobile multimedia platform to provide Operators who wish to catalyze the multimedia process, from service compilation through to delivery and analysis. This 'holistic platform' approach ensures that Operators who are targeting higher Mobile Multimedia revenues are freed to execute service innovation, unhindered by technological gaps or commercial viability. For example, ARPU from video services can be fully maximized to the largest possible addressable market and delivered in seconds with Mercury's incredibly powerful multimedia engine.
The demand and popularity of video continues to increase in the online world, fuelled predominately by video giants such as YouTube and an unceasing consumer appetite for video blogs, social-network sharing and breaking news. By delivering compelling video via 'push' multimedia bearers, Operators fortify their position at the heart of the value chain and reduce the threat of becoming a commoditized connectivity provider.
Through Mercury VideoGrab, mobile Operators are able to quickly deploy new services exploiting the moment of highest value due to the perishable nature of some video content. "Live" mobile multimedia broadcasting of compelling moments from news, entertainment and sports events ensures Operators can capitalize on an enormous range of footage at the point when it is of highest value to the recipient. This can be followed up with "click to stream" Pay Per View services, for example, following delivery of a "live" clip of an equalizing goal, recipients could opt to watch the last 10 minutes of a football match.
Internet based web cam footage, video blogs and popular clips can easily be captured and sent amongst groups and communities, playing into the social networking phenomena and encouraging subsequent viral revenues. Brands and Advertisers can also make best use of the video format for more sophisticated and synchronized multi-platform campaigns. CCTV footage offers any number of update services including security, scheduled traffic or weather clips all pushed to the handset either 'On Demand' or as a subscribed VAS service.
Costi Manda, Chief Technical Officer and Managing Director for 3ple-Media believes VideoGrab will open up valuable new Mobile Multimedia revenue streams for Operators as the industry evolves from traditional "black-and-white" text and voice, to "color" multimedia.
"There is much speculation about Operators becoming sidelined as 'bitpipe' connectivity providers in the new mobile multimedia revenue chain as new Internet players and Broadcasters weigh into the scene. Mercury's VideoGrab supports Operators' bigger picture requirements and makes video based multimedia services a very immediate and profitable reality."