July 2nd 2008 (Tel Aviv & New York) – HIRO Media, the ad-supported video download specialist, and Pando Networks, the managed peer-to-peer (P2P) media delivery provider, have announced a strategic partnership to offer broadcasters a centrally managed ad-supported online video solution. The result – what everyone’s been looking – an easy-to-implement and secure way for content owners to give audiences free video downloads.
This new service has been designed to deliver the highest quality video experience for consumers and content providers alike. The partnership creates a cost-effective, bandwidth-efficient download solution that delivers free, video content to ever increasing video hungry consumers around the world. Pando allows the incremental delivery cost of more viewers to drop to near-zero, and Hiro provides per-viewer revenue, which scales with viewership.
Combining the unique power and protection of HIRO’s Positive DRM™ solution with Pando’s centrally managed P2Pdelivery service, the service provides content owners with the tools required to roll out a world-class online video business that leverages all the efficiencies and benefits of a peer based distribution system, with the controls and security of a proprietary streaming or download system.
“Every day people are watching more and more video on the web, and this trend is only set to increase. Every broadcaster and content owner globally is racing to offer content online, yet there is no true business model or delivery system robust enough to support this explosion,” said Ariel Napchi, co-CEO and co-Founder of HIRO Media. ”The collaboration between HIRO and Pando takes peer-to-peer, previously perceived as the biggest threat to the broadcast industry, and harnesses its power for the benefit of the industry. Our ‘off-the-shelf’ solution for digital video distribution leverages the cost efficiencies of P2P with the security and scalability of our Positive DRM™.”
“Our combined offer means Pando & HIRO can effectively become a single source for integrated ad serving & media delivery,” said Robert Levitan, CEO of Pando Networks. “Pando’s P2P distribution system mitigates content owner’s concerns stemming from bandwidth limitations and the heavy expense of server-driven distribution solutions. HIRO’s technology absolutely compliments our own offering and enables our two companies to offer a one of a kind, ‘best-of-breed’ solution.”
HIRO Media’s platform inserts personalised un-skippable, un-strippable pre-, mid- and post-roll and advertisements into video downloads. The unique Positive DRM™ solution embraces all forms of file-sharing, offering content owners and advertisers a viable business model without devaluing the consumer experience. The HIRO solution has been deployed globally by broadcasters including Channel Nine (Australia), BT Vision/Freemantle Media (UK), Reshet (Israel), and NBC (US).
Pando is the leading provider of centrally managed P2P content delivery services, used by companies such as NBC Universal, that combine the reliability and control of CDNs with the scale and cost efficiencies of P2P protocols. The Pando service supports both P2P and HTTP, dynamically alternating between delivery protocols to maintain uninterrupted delivery optimized for cost and performance throughout the content demand curve. As content becomes more popular, more of the bandwidth demand is moved off of HTTP servers and onto to the peer Cloud. This protects content providers from bursting beyond a committed throughput and works with any CDN, without any configuration or additional hardware.
ABOUT HIRO MEDIA LTD.
HIRO’s innovative video downloading and intelligent ad-insertion technologies create a truly viable business model for internet video distribution. HIRO’s revolutionary Positive DRM™ enables content owners and portals to reduce their distribution costs and increase their revenues, with a ground-breaking solution that provides ad-supported, free video downloads. Through a patent pending technology that protects the commercials as well as the content, distributors and owners are able to maintain control of their video revenues regardless of the download source.
Founded in 2004 in Tel Aviv, Israel by Ronny Golan and Ariel Napchi HIRO Media Ltd. is a privately held company with commercial solutions deployed by leading broadcasters and content owners across the globe. In 2008, HIRO’s Positive DRM™ was recognized in Variety’s inaugural ’10 Innovators to Watch’, and AlwaysOn’s ‘OnHollywood 100’ list of leading digital entrepreneurs.
ABOUT Pando
About Pando Networks Inc. Pando Networks is the leading provider of managed P2P content delivery services. Pando technology combines the reliability and control of CDNs with the scale and cost efficiencies of P2P protocols. Pando co-chairs with Verizon the P4P Working Group that is developing methods to enable ISPs and P2P service providers to route data more efficiently. Pando is funded by Intel Capital, BRM Capital and Wheatley Partners. Pando has received numerous industry awards including: AlwaysOn 100 Top Private Company, TechCrunch Connected Innovator, C/net Webware 100 and Web Video Summit 2007 Hottest Products of the Year. For more information, please visit www.PandoNetworks.com.
For Pando Networks
Stuart Cleary
Pando Networks
Tel: +1.415.948.6984
eMail: stuart.cleary@pandonetworks.com