Last week, several of us from Sorenson Media attended the Streaming Media West Conference/Online Video Platform (OVP) Summit -- was a great show.
There literally were 20 or so video platform providers in attendance. But, do any of us really think all (or even most) will survive even one year? Highly unlikely, given that virtually none of these companies have generated any meaningful revenues or profits of any kind. And, virtually none of these have any differentiated approach and simply treat video management/hosting as a commodity.
Not surprisingly, the competition understands their significant Achilles Heal here with respect to video encoding -- they simply cannot compete in terms of video quality. So, what do they do? Instead of offering their own real technology, they instead are now attempting to use smoke and mirrors to manufacture a quality encoding story. But, look past the smoke and see what is really going on -- they are using free open source encoding solutions (Ffmeg). No matter how you slice it, Ffmpeg is Ffmeg! Even if they now enable the user to "tweak" Ffmeg settings, it is still Ffmeg! It is a free solution with no proprietary technology by the OVP whatsoever. And, this is what the other guys are using (just ask them). Bigger files do not solve the problem ... just compare video quality -- no one ... no one ... can compete with Sorenson. And, at the end of the day, in the words of one of our 360 customers, "Quality is Credibility" for your business;
(2) We alone -- and this is critical -- offer a total video workflow solution. All other services ignore the fact that the video professional'sworkflow begins well before the video publishing phase -- it begins at the creative process (story boarding, etc.); then video capture; then editing, then encoding; and only then -- publishing and beyond. Our total workflow solution offers choice as well -- either (a) seamless integration of Sorenson Squeeze with 360; or (b) 360 alone (via our one-of-a-kind innovative client side encoding engine in the browser); all the others begin when half the workflow is done;
(3) we have been innovating in video for nearly 15 years (no one else comes close) ... one of the name presenters at the show, in fact, followed us up by saying "we've been around only a couple of years";
(4) we have been profitable for a number of years (no one else can say that) -- we are a stand-alone company with a very healthy balance sheet and in no need of VC cash (virtually all other companies in our space are in need of cash infusions); we have multiple revenue streams and are not a "one trick pony" like all the others (we have codec licensing, Squeeze licensing, and our 360 service); this really does matter, since you, the business/video professional are entrusting your prized video assets with a service and you need to know that that service will be here in the future;
(5) we have a brand/reputation for quality -- that's why we won the Streaming Media "Readers' Choice" award for the third straight year last week; and
(6) we already have hundreds of thousands of users -- not hundreds of users! How? Because we have been doing this for a long long time and video professionals and businesses have used our products/services for years (all the way from the solo video professional to the biggest media companies in the world). Our products work together -- seamlessly -- and uniquely powerfully.
I left the Streaming Media Conference/OVP Summit smiling ... not because of cockiness ... but rather confidence. Confidence in our proprietary differentiated technology. Confidence in our uniquely experienced team. Confidence in our uniquely powerful brand and reputation for quality and innovation; And, confidence in our uniquely differentiated "total workflow solution" approach and understanding of the needs of video professionals and businesses.
A good feeling indeed as we break soon for Thanksgiving ...
Very gratifying indeed ... our flagship product, Sorenson Squeeze, just tonight won the Streaming Media Readers' Choice award for the third year in a row (for best video encoding software). Yes, it's a three-peat -- and I am here at the Streaming Media West conference (and OVP Summit) with my talented team -- and we held the award aloft tonight. AND, our new Sorenson Squeeze 6 wasn't even the nominated version -- it was the earlier version, Sorenson Squeeze 5. Given the reaction to Squeeze 6 (which just launched two weeks ago) -- click here to see and read the buzz about our launch -- imagine the new power of Squeeze! If you thought Squeeze 5 was cool, you gotta check out new Squeeze 6 (we make it easy -- you can sign up for a 30 day free trial at www.sorensonmedia.com).
And, our new video delivery network -- Sorenson 360 (which is only 6 months old) -- was also one of three finalists in the online video platform category.
It's a good night ... congratulations to the entire extremely talented and dedicated team at Sorenson Media. And, thanks to all of you readers and customers who made this all possible. As corny as it sounds, we truly do try to make it happen for you ...
One more thing -- Squeeze and 360 shouldn't be seen as two separate products -- they really are integral parts of a singular total workflow solution. If that is unclear to you, check out VP of Product Development David Dudas's video demo tomorrow, Thursday, at 11:30 am at the OVP Summit.
I have arrived at Streaming Media West (and the Online Video Platform) Conference/Summit in San Jose. Took the Southwest "bus" this AM -- and am ready to meet.
Let me know if you would like to connect -- if so, send a note to my attention at bizdev@sorensonmedia.com
As great and powerful as video is, it is still critical to meet "in the flesh" when you get the chance.
Several of us from Sorenson Media will be at this week's Streaming Media West (and OVP) Summit in San Jose. Eric Quanstrom, our VP Marketing & Strategy, is there starting today. David Dudas, our VP Product Development, and I will fly in tomorrow AM and will be there all day Wednesday and Thursday. David gives a live demo of our industry-leading products on Thursday, and I will be on Larry Kless's panel about "monetizing video" on Thursday afternoon.
See you there -- and, for those of you who don't know us -- this is what we, at Sorenson Media, do. We are all about video ...
I have always been a believer in the power of online music subscription services. And, I have eaten my own dog food in this regard, consuming them voraciously from their very beginning -- first, with my own company's service, pioneering online music company Musicmatch (way back in the day in 2003 -- in the online media world, that IS way back in the day). After Yahoo! acquired Musicmatch in 2004 -- and then unceremoniously killed the Musicmatch service -- I had no choice but to switch to Yahoo Music's branded subscription service. But Yahoo! subsequently unceremoniously killed its own creation, so I was forced to switch again, this time to Rhapsody -- which I still use. I also pay for -- and regularly use -- Pandora. And then there are online music subscription stalwarts Napster, Slacker and a host of others.
But, none of them have really caught on in a big way with the mass public because everyone, to date, has been obsessed with Apple, iTunes, and its pay-for-download (and no subscription choice) consumption model. To date, that is ...
... is that now changing?
Certainly investors must think so, as a slew of new online music subscription services are joining the already-crowded fray, including Euro-based service Spotify and now MOG. Why, even grand-daddy MySpace Music is joining the subscription craze.
Maybe there really is gold in them thar ears ... I mean, hills.
(But there certainly will be a lot of road-kill along the way ...)
My company, Sorenson Media -- and online video's unique power to help any sized business (including every small-to-medium business) market better, interact with customers better, and sell more -- are featured front and center today in USA Today. Check it out at your newstand -- and check out USA Today's accompanying video about our company.
I especially like this headline from the article when it refers to us -- "Giving online video its start" -- and the first line of that article ain't bad either (and is so true by the way) -- "Every time you see a video online, you probably have Sorenson Media to thank."
No one -- NO ONE -- has this kind of long-term legacy of innovation in the video space. 14 years of it ... and still going strong ...
The video communications/conferencing space is near and dear to me, of course, since I ran the desktop video communications leader, SightSpeed, for 3 years and until we were acquired by Logitech in November of last year.
Why SightSpeed first and LifeSize now? Quite simple. Logitech is looking for new growth vehicles, and it sees business videoconferencing as one such driver. So, do the other companies I mention in this post. But, with its 1-2 punch of LifeSize and SightSpeed (the consumer version of which is now called Logitech'sVid), Logitech will now be able to uniquely seamlessly integrate the business videoconferencing experience from the boardroom with the desktop (via the SightSpeed technology), providing potentially millions of videoconferencing endpoints (rather than simply conference room to conference room). This flexibility will be a critical point of differentiation for the company as it battles the other videoconferencing behemoths.
Lots of bets are being placed that we are only in inning 2 of a 9 inning videoconferencing market opportunity with billions of dollars ultimately at stake.
My bet is with the power of video ... and my bet is that Logitech will be a significant winner ...
Remember, Best Buy acquired online music company Napster last year for $121 million. And, just recently, Best Buy partnered with online movie company, CinemaNow.
Why, because Best Buy's CD & DVD sales are dropping fast -- the physical goods store is seeing its entertainment-related physical goods going the way of the dodo world in the next few years.
So, what's a physical retailer to do? Start pushing online media services front and center now, so that the "blue shirts" in its stores can take the mystery out of digital music and movie services and teach consumers how to enjoy them when they buy their physical electronics.
But, will it work? Many are skeptical -- but, the pride of Minneapolis stores have little choice but to go full throttle into the brave new world of digital media rather than sit idly by as consumers ignore their CD/DVD shelves.
And, I am pleased -- very pleased -- to report that the press keeps coming ... and keeps coming back better than I/we could have hoped over here.
Here is a representative sampling of some of the great press so far ...
(1) TechCrunch (Devin Coldewey) -- "damn, if I was a video professional I'd be all over this thing." (those are his italics by the way)
(2) Broadcast Newsroom (Kevin P. McAuliffe) -- "Normally I say that you owe it to your clients to get a product. Well, you owe it to yourself to buy this product, and make YOUR life easier ... Sorenson has taken Squeeze 6, and made it not only THE choice for video compression, but the application that other companies will look to when developing upgrades for their own products." (those are his CAPS by the way)
(3) Macworld (Jackie Dove) -- "The program's interface has been re-designed to simplify the video compression workflow and provide easy access to features such as encoding presets, high-quality audio and video filters, DVD burning tools, and the new review, approval and notification functions."
(4) StreamingMedia.com (Jan Ozer) -- "Sorenson announced Squeeze 6 today and it looks impressive from both a technical and workflow perspective ... I've needed this type of easy review and approval for years -- it's a great way to familiarize both parties (encoder and client) with the benefits of an online video platform in general, and specifically Sorenson 360, and so is a smart marketing play for Sorenson ... The interface itself has been updated and streamlined, but there will be little or no learning curve for current users ... From a performance perspective, Squeeze 6 can now encode to VP6 format in parallel, a huge time saver for VP6 publishers ..."
(5) HotHardware (Daniel A. Begun) -- "... videophiles should be happy to learn that the software's next generation, Sorenson Squeeze 6, is available starting today."
I will continue to update ... but, lots of smiles over here ...
At long last -- well over 1 year in the making -- Sorenson Squeeze 6.0 arrives today (well, it was supposed to be announced tomorrow, but TechCrunch beat everyone to the punch).
Our gold standard video encoding product just got, well, "golder" ... a lot golder. Previously, Squeeze was known as being the best in class video encoding application for video professionals. Now, think of it as a total workflow solution. It is unlike any Squeeze you have seen before (and I can tell you this having done 30 pre-release press briefings, everyone who has seen it in action agrees.)
Video quality, better? Check -- the best codecs, the most filters, Sorenson's expertise.
Speed, better? Check -- up to 5X better in certain circumstances.
But, it's all the other innovative "stuff" that my team has developed that truly makes Squeeze 6.0 downright revolutionary and stand alone. The ultimate goal of our team was to reduce the pain that previously came with encoding video ... and with all other parts of the video pro'sworkflow. The ultimate goal was to free the video pro from their desk so that they could spend more time shooting videos, building their businesses, and living their lives.
How did we go about doing this?
First, a familiar, yet streamlined and redesigned UI -- more intuitive, easier to use, and more pleasing to the eye.
Second, email and SMS notifications to the video professional when their encoding job is done -- in other words, "set it and forget it." That means that the video pro can start the job, leave his or her desk, and then receive notification (even on an iPhone) when the job is done.
Third, secure "review and approval." Gone are the days when time is lost by the video pro having to burn a DVD and messenger it over to his or her client. Now, all of this can be done online and on the iPhone -- and all securely.
Fourth, direct publishing and syndication from Squeeze to YouTube, Twitter, Akamai, Limelight and more (including Sorenson 360).
Fifth, seamless integration now with Apple's FinalCut Pro in addition to our great partner Avid.
Sixth, a new community element to Squeeze called the "Preset Exchange." Now, each of us can simply download complete presets -- think of them as encoding recipes -- from some of the industry's most renown video experts (both in-house at Sorenson Media, as well as outside the company).
Think of all the time savings -- and efficiency gains -- the comes from all this? It ain't just that Squeeze 6.0 encodes much faster. It's also about the fact that Squeeze 6.0 saves you and your clients time at every step of your workflow.
And, listen to this -- for existing Squeeze 5 Pro users -- the upgrade price is only $199 to get all of this, PLUS a complementary Sorenson 360 Review & Approval account (Sorenson 360 is what we call our "video delivery network", or VDN -- a video publishing/hosting solution to manage all of your videos on the Internet). We very much appreciate the loyalty of our existing customers, and we want to continue to earn their trust.
One more thing about which I am especially proud. We set the launch date for Squeeze 6.0 months ago. And, the Sorenson team is so good and dedicated that they did whatever necessary to get it done on time ... no slippage (which is almost unheard of in the world of software and technology). And, the team did it right ... attention to detail ... pride and passion in their work.
Exciting times ...
Sorenson Media Launches Sorenson Squeeze 6 – Higher Quality, Faster, and Now the First Total Workflow Solution for Video Encoding and Publishing
SAN DIEGO (Nov. 3, 2009) – Sorenson Media today announced the immediate availability of Sorenson Squeeze 6, a significant update to the gold-standard video encoding software application. Sorenson Squeeze 6 provides the first total workflow solution for video professionals, enabling customers to employ innovative tools – such as email and text notifications and a secure review and approval process – that simplify the overall workflow and allow them to more easily encode and publish video files on the Internet. Optimized video codecs and new filters have also been added, significantly improving video quality and encoding speed.
Video Management Made Easy
Working in tandem with the Sorenson 360 Video Delivery Network (Sorenson Media’s re-imagined online video publishing platform), Sorenson Squeeze 6 includes a variety of new unique features that make encoding and publishing videos online easier:
-E-mail and Text Notifications. Sorenson Squeeze 6 can now send automatic notifications to clients, colleagues, supervisors, friends or the users themselves via e-mail and text message (SMS) when encoding jobs are completed. With this new feature, users can start an encoding job and walk away, knowing they will be notified immediately when the process is done.
-Review and Approval Workflow. Video professionals can now add their clients’ and supervisors’ contact information to Sorenson Squeeze, which will automatically send them secure, password protected videos for review and approval after encoding jobs are completed. This automated workflow is accessible from desktop computer Web browsers as well as the iPhone, enabling busy professionals to review and approve content on the go. After viewing a video, reviewer feedback and comments are immediately sent back to the Squeeze user, thereby streamlining the workflow of today’s video professionals.
-Direct Publishing and Syndication. In addition to seamless publishing to the Sorenson 360 Video Delivery Network, Sorenson Squeeze 6 users can upload high-quality encoded video directly to popular social media sites, such as YouTube and Twitter, as well as to content delivery networks, including Akamai and Limelight.
-Enhanced User Interface. The Sorenson Squeeze 6 interface has been re-designed to simplify the video compression workflow and provide easy access to the software’s powerful features, including encoding presets; high-quality audio and video filters; DVD burning tools; and the new review, approval and notification functions.
-Complimentary Sorenson 360 Review & Approval Account.Every purchase of Squeeze 6 includes a complimentary one-year Review & Approval account to the Sorenson 360 Video Delivery Network, making Squeeze the first end-to-end encoding and publishing solution.
Sorenson Squeeze 6 surpasses previous versions of the software in both speed and quality by incorporating and optimizing the latest On2 VP6 and MainConcept H.264 codecs. Internal benchmark tests have shown Sorenson Squeeze 6 is up to 500 percent faster than Sorenson Squeeze 5 when encoding in the H.264 and VP6 formats, both of which are standard formats included with every copy of Squeeze 6. New video filters, including blur, RGB, tint, white balance and timecode, have also been added to improve the quality of any encoded video.
New input and output formats have also been added to Sorenson Squeeze 6, including:
-New Input Formats: AVC-Intra and WMV with VC-1 for use in Blu-ray and Microsoft Silverlight
-New Output Formats: AVI, AIFF, DV Stream, Image Sequence, Wave, and WMV with VC-1
To coincide with the release of Squeeze 6, Sorenson Media has also launched an innovative new Preset Exchange (http://presets.sorensonmedia.com), an online repository of professional “video encoding recipes” or presets. The presets in the Exchange have been created by top industry compression experts, thereby providing Squeeze 6 users with direct access to the same encoding tools used by seasoned encoding professionals to get the best quality out of their encoding processes. Because the Preset Exchange is seamlessly integrated with Squeeze 6, users can instantly import new presets into Squeeze by clicking “Install” on the Preset Exchange Web site.
Along with previous integration with Avid’s suite of editing applications, Sorenson Squeeze 6 also now works seamlessly with Apple’s Final Cut Pro and iMovie. This process significantly improves workflow times by eliminating the need for cumbersome exporting and importing between applications and enables users to tap into the powerful Squeeze feature set directly from their favorite editing software.
Pricing and Availability
Sorenson Squeeze 6 and Sorenson Squeeze 6 for Flash are available immediately for electronic download or for shipping in CD form. Sorenson Squeeze 6 is $799 and Sorenson Squeeze 6 for Flash is $499. Upgrades from previous versions of Sorenson Squeeze begin at $199. The complimentary one-year Sorenson 360 Review & Approval account includes 5 gigabytes (GB) of storage, 100 streams per month and a maximum video length of 30 minutes.
For additional information about purchasing Sorenson Squeeze 6 or to find a reseller, visit www.sorensonmedia.com. A webinar with more details about Sorenson Squeeze 6 and Sorenson 360 will be held November 3, 2009 at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. Participants can register by visiting: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/799993763
Online Press Room
The Sorenson Media online press room is available at www.sorensonmedia.com/presskit, and includes downloadable press releases, company and product information, and high-resolution images.
About Sorenson Media
Sorenson Media (www.sorensonmedia.com) offers comprehensive, award-winning solutions that empower businesses and video professionals to easily and affordably publish the highest-quality video to the Internet and other media. Included among its products and services are the Sorenson 360 Video Delivery Network (VDN), Sorenson Media’s re-imagined video publishing platform; Sorenson Squeeze, the gold-standard for video encoding applications; Sorenson Squish and SquishNet, which together create an easy-to-use browser-based video publishing platform for user-generated content; and Sorenson Spark, the industry’s most widely used video codec, which enables mobile devices and other consumer products to playback the largest selection of video on the Internet today. Since its inception in 1995, Sorenson Media has been instrumental in bringing Internet video to mainstream applications and is committed to dramatically improving the online video experience for both content creators and consumers.
