Google has acquired multiscreen online video company Anvato. The venture capital backed company, founded in 2007 and conveniently based in Mountain View, California, will become part of the Google Cloud Platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The major cloud players are all boosting their platforms in a bid to attract broadcasters and media companies.
Anvato provides a software system that automates the encoding, editing, publishing and secure distribution of video to multiple platforms. The Media Content Platform provides live and on-demand online video services for broadcasters and pay-television operators. Customers include NBCUniversal, Univision, Scripps Networks and Fox Sports.
Alper Turgut, the chief executive, said: “Anvato will continue to deliver the full range of cutting edge video processing software solutions for pay-TV operators, programmers, broadcasters and live event producers, and will do so on the Google Cloud Platform infrastructure.”
The serial technology entrepreneur said that the combination of Anvato with the Google Cloud Platform would “supercharge our capabilities” and “accelerate the pace of innovation”.
Belwadi Srikanth, from the Google Cloud Platform, said: “With OTT adoption rapidly accelerating, the Cloud Platform and Anvato teams will work together to deliver cloud solutions that help businesses in the media and entertainment industry scale their video infrastructure efforts and deliver high-quality, live video and on-demand content to consumers on any device — be it their smartphone, tablet or connected television.”
Anvato will complement the Google Cloud Platform, which competes with other cloud service providers, including Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, which are used by many media companies. Amazon acquired Elemental Technologies in 2015 to boost its AWS Cloud platform. IBM acquired Anvato competitor Clearleap for similar reasons.