KIT digital Announces Joint Social TV Solution with Civolution
21 Jun 2012KIT digital, Inc. , a leading video management software and services company, today announced its partnership with Civolution, a leading provider of technology and solutions for identifying, managing and monetizing media content. KIT digital has integrated Civolution’s Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology, SyncNow, into its Cosmos video management software, which will now deliver second screen interactivity to consumers with non-connected, or “dumb,” TV sets. Civolution and KIT digital will jointly offer solutions to their media and broadcast clients.
Consumers are increasingly watching and interacting with video services delivered over the Internet. The most successful video services leverage IP televisions, smartphones and tablets in novel ways to increase viewer engagement and interaction. However, the majority of TV sets and set top boxes in use today are not IP-video capable. They do not support viewer interaction beyond changing the channel, limiting the value broadcasters and service providers can offer to viewers and making second screen interaction irrelevant and impossible.
The combination of KIT digital and Civolution’s software solves this problem. KIT digital’s Cosmos video management software supports live and on-demand video delivery and second screen interactive experiences across a variety of devices. Civolution’s digital watermarking and fingerprinting technologies enable accurate and real-time synchronization of a broadcast video stream with an interactive application on a companion device, even in the absence of an IP-connected TV, and whether the video content is being watched live or on-demand.
“Second screen applications that actively synch with the content on the main screen deliver better targeted and more timely companion experiences, justifying higher channel advertising spend and consumer subscription fees,” said Laura Kaatz, Managing Director of Global Commercial Operations at KIT digital. “Our joint solution opens up a new market for media and entertainment companies, supporting higher ad and subscription revenues without the need for their viewers to invest in new infrastructure. Both Civolution and KIT digital’s sales teams can sell the solution together, in a teaming model, as we do successfully with other partners in our Partner Ecosystem.”
KIT digital has integrated Civolution’s SyncNow ACR technology into its modular, broadcast-grade Cosmos video platform. Cosmos already supports synchronized second screen applications via smart TVs and IP-connected set top boxes. This new integration achieves first-to-second screen synchronization without IP-connected playout points, based on the audio signal picked-up by the companion device microphone.
“KIT digital is an industry leader for video management software, and their technology meets the broadcast-grade level of service our customers demand,” said Andy Nobbs, Chief Commercial Officer, Civolution. “We are very excited at the new commercial opportunities our partnership will bring to our organizations, as well as the tremendous value our combined product offering will add to our existing client base. The joint solution is great news for broadcasters and service providers now able to offer synchronized apps to consumers who can now interact with their favorite programs using their tablet with any type of TV set.”