ioko, Sun Microsystems and Vignette Join Forces to Launch Converged Digital Content Delivery Platform
Maidenhead, UK (5 October 2006)
ioko, a specialist in digital and on-demand media, Sun Microsystems, a leading global provider of hardware, software and services, and Vignette, the enterprise content management software provider, today announced a partnership agreement to provide a consolidated solution that will enable telco operators, internet service providers and media and entertainment companies in Northern Europe to exploit digital convergence across a number of channels, via a single comprehensive delivery platform.
Until now, companies looking to take advantage of emerging convergence technologies to create and deliver multimedia content to customers have done so in a piecemeal fashion and crucially, have not been able to use their existing website infrastructures. The ioko, Vignette and Sun Microsystems partnership will allow the transformation of multimedia content so that it can be distributed via multiple channels and devices such as PC, digital set-top boxes, mobile phones and other portable devices.
The platform will combine Vignette's Next-Generation Web solutions to deliver a multichannel experience with ioko's expertise in the delivery of media solutions and platform management services, and will also use Sun hardware, web infrastructure, security solutions and services.
The reality of 'Digital Convergence' has only emerged in the past 12 months or so, mainly due to the rapidly increasing capacity of broadband and mobile networks. Consumers are now expecting the same rich user experiences using a computer at home or a mobile device as they have traditionally had with broadcast television.
Companies can now use the same platform to manage the content on their primary dot com domains, deliver video to personal computers and mobile devices, provide store fronts for consumers to purchase and download music, games and ringtones, and interact with each other in a Web 2.0 rich environment.
According to Gartner , "A new type of customer is emerging who takes full advantage of the freedom and choice now offered. This highly individualistic customer is unpredictable and potentially the most profitable for media companies. The challenge is to create a converged enterprise that offers a broad and consistent set of services across multiple digital channels, backed by a flexible architecture that allows new services to be added quickly at low cost."
The consolidated platform will help reduce content delivery costs and it will also make it much easier for companies to identify consumer demands and trends through reporting and analytical tools. This will enable them to respond to market trends faster and offer compelling new content at an earlier stage. By providing insight into content consumption and having the opportunity to market targeted personalised content, companies can increase revenues through up-selling and by offering service bundles.
"Most of our business over the coming 18 months will be focused on assisting telecoms and media companies with convergence. With our history of large-scale platform development for media companies around the globe, this next phase of digital expansion is one in which ioko is enthusiastic and confident about applying our genuine expertise. We are pleased to join forces with two industry leaders in Vignette and Sun Microsystems to bring a solution of this calibre to market," says John Griffin, Sales and Marketing Director, ioko.
"The development of the content delivery platform in partnership with ioko and Vignette, further underlines our commitment as a company to develop solutions specifically for our media customers. We are confident that the platform will quickly establish itself as a common solution for many larger media companies and by lowering the cost of entry, open up multi-channel distribution for smaller media owners for the first time" says Phil Bates, Partner Solutions Manager, Sun Microsystems UK.
Simon Robinson, Marketing Director EMEA, Vignette says, "Vignette, ioko and Sun Microsystems are bringing a unique content management and delivery solution to the media and telecoms industries. It will enable companies must meet the burgeoning demand for managing and delivering content across multiple devices, and at the same time help improve customer loyalty and drive new revenues in the competitive converged marketplace."
'Convergence - Fusion or Fantasy', Marcus Blosch (2002)
About ioko
ioko was established in 1996 to help commercial organisations apply cutting-edge technologies to create new, but practical, business solutions and applications. For ten years ioko has been working very successfully with some of Europe's best known companies, applying its technical knowledge and skills to design, build and run high quality IT systems. ioko has worked with media companies since its inception, mainly as a provider of systems integration services, but also providing managed services for customers like EMI, Channel 4 and Sky. ioko has worked with Sky for the last five years, managing the company's entire Internet platform including all web sites, video streaming services and customer portals. ioko is also the leading implementer of Kontiki Grid technology software in Europe.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com
Sun,Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, StorageTek, SunSpectrum, TekCare, Solaris and The Network is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.