Want a Sneak Peek? Check Out Our New Website

www.sorensonmedia.com

but, shhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone .... not official until early next week ....

Let's Meet at Streaming Media West Next Week

Streaming Media West takes place in LA next week. We, at Sorenson Media, kick off the event by co-hosting a major soiree on Monday evening with partners AWS, RightScale and Aspera. We then follow things up in rapid fire with two major announcements (stay tuned). We will have several of us manning our booth and wandering the halls (including our new enterprise sales team). And, we are a finalist for the coveted Streaming Media "Readers' Choice Award" (which will be announced Tuesday night).

Will we get the 4-peat for the U.S. "Readers' Choice Award" (after just winning the European version for "Best Transcoding Solution")? All eyes at our company will be watching very closely, as validation by customers is the single most important data point that we are on the right track.

Sneak Peek VIP Event -- Hosted by Sorenson, AWS, Aspera & RightScale

We just returned from Streaming Media Europe in London (where we picked up our European "Readers' Choice" award for Best Transcoding Solution), and next week we participate in Streaming Media West in LA (where we are a finalist in what would be our 4th straight US "Readers' Choice" award). This is one of the most important industry events -- and, we will have several major announcements at that time.

On Monday evening, November 1st -- the eve of the conference -- we also will be hosting a VIP cocktail reception with partners Amazon (AWS), Aspera, and RightScale. During that event, we will give a first-look sneak peek of the new "Squeeze Solution Pack" cloud-based video encoding solution -- a new first of its kind innovative and holistic solution to ingest video, transform it, manage the encoding process with the highest quality, and easily scale. This is a private invitation only event -- so, please reach out to me at bizdev@sorensonmedia.com if you would like to attend.

Here's Amazon's official announcement of the event -- http://aws.amazon.com/streaming-media-west/aspera/

Live from Paris -- NFL Sunday Ticket Package via DirecTV To-Go -- How Did It Score?

Euro-trip, Euro-travel experiences. And, a chance to check out certain digital media/technology services out in the real world.

So, as some of you know, the Minnesota Vikings are my team -- for better or for worse (this year it has been more of the latter than the former). This past weekend, my 1-3 Vikes had a critical game against the equally 1-3 Dallas Cowboys. Now, remember, at the start of the season, many had thought my Vikes and the Cowboys would be two of the top teams in the NFC. So, this game was critical, because the loser would be 1-4 (and, since 1992, only about 5% of teams starting at 1-4 have made it to the play-offs).

But, at game-time, I was in Paris. So, what's a Viking fan to do? "Aha!", I said to myself. I am a DirecTV subscriber at home -- that means NFL Sunday Ticket package -- and I had heard about being able to watch the NFL package on the road and on my laptop. It was 10 pm in Paris, but i decided to give it a whirl. I clicked on the "DirectTV To-Go" link and -- after a long while (the navigation is very NON-intuitive and confusing) -- I was able to find my game. And, watch the whole thing live from Paris.

Now, the bandwidth in my hotel wasn't great -- so, there continuous breaks and lengthy pauses in the stream. Nonetheless, it was quite the remarkable experience -- once again underscoring the power of anything, anytime, anywhere.

And, my beloved -- yet head-ache inducing -- Vikes beat back the Cowboys (with the aid of an admittedly questionable pass interference call near the end). All was good as I closed my laptop at 1 am and prepared for the next day's meetings.

Voila

Muse's "The Resistance" - The Perfect Soundtrack for My Euro Trip

I just finished up my trip to Europe. I spent several days in London, Paris and Zurich. It was largely gray, damp, but absolutely beautiful and architecturally romantic of course. At the risk of stating the obvious, a world away from my home in San Diego.

Throughout my travels, I walked the cities -- and I took the subways and trains; I never took a single taxi.

My constant companion on my trip? My iPod -- and the band Muse -- and their remarkable new album "The Resistance". While I have always liked the band -- I have seen them twice just this past year (including their phenomenal show in the desert at Coachella) -- I never fully understood them or appreciated their music. I always kind of considered them a poor man's Radiohead. Not anymore I don't. Now, I understand how original they really are right now. Now, I "get" it.

Their music is poetic, bombastic, romantic -- it is theater -- it is opera mixed with a healthy dose of Pink Floyd (to understand what I mean, listen to the song "Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture)" from The Resistance. Really listen to it -- with head-phones. And, with the volume cranked up ... really really loudly.

Now, picture yourself walking along the Thames ... or the Seine ... in the cold autumn air.

Do you "get" it?

Thought so. And, that's the power of Muse.

That's what I did throughout my trip. I walked ... I listened ... and got lost in the music (that really does happen). Muse's "The Resistance" was absolutely the soundtrack for my Euro trip -- and a significant ingredient to the overall European experience (since they are a wholly European band with European-styled operatic MUSE-ic).

(One more thing -- if you ever get a chance to see them live -- do it. They are the single most impressive arena rock band on the scene right now -- ahead of U2 -- ahead of Coldplay. Ahead of everyone.)

"Rework"'s Forgotten Chapter -- The Power of Planned Serendipity (aka "GET OUT THERE!")

As readers of my blog know, I have been in Europe for the past week for business -- business conference, business meetings, press meetings, analyst meetings. In London, Paris, Zurich (yes, I actually made it to Zurich by train -- quite the miracle with all of the French strikes right now). These longer trips always give me a chance to step back, get away from the day-to-day details, get external feedback, look at the broader picture -- and reflect -- which is incredibly important for every business person (and every person in life, for that matter) to do. I have written about this before -- in a blog post (one of the few) that I actually believe is absolutely worth reading (trust me on this one -- click here).

The original reason for my trip? An industry conference (the Streaming Media Europe conference in London, to be exact). But, that raison d'etre for my European tour proved to be just the starting point, as it beget other meetings -- some planned -- some, not so much. And, all of these led to business discussions and ideas -- some planned -- some, not so much. This was the general concept for the trip -- build it, and utility will come! (Stick with me on this one folks -- there is a fundamental point here that I want to hammer home to each of you, because it is one of the single most important pieces of advice I can give.)

And, come it (utility) did! It has been an incredibly productive trip -- both in ways I can imagine right now, and in ways that I cannot. I am not trying to be enigmatic here at all -- I absolutely mean that. When I travel, when I put myself "out there", I am constantly reminded of the power of SERENDIPITY! The chance meeting, the chance conversation, the chance business idea that enters your mind because of that chance meeting or conversation -- that is the point. These chance/unplanned/unscripted meetings can be the stuff of opportunities that literally could change your company's and your world -- but you would never know that unless you planned to make those serendipitous moments possible. In other words, via the trip itself.

Huh, what? Planned serendipity? YES, ABSOLUTELY! I made myself open to possibilities that otherwise would have been wholly unattainable simply because I planned the trip in the first place! In other words, I put myself "out there." I didn't have a full game-plan; I didn't have a full agenda. I started with the conference. Then, I scheduled some meetings. So, I had a framework -- a skeleton -- but I knew that things would get fleshed out in real-time while I was there, which they did. Then, the ball began to roll -- which it always does (as long as you are proactive) -- and it rolls usually in ways you can't even imagine. And, this is how positive Black Swans are made possible, since you increase the odds of positive transformative events (i.e., Black Swans) simply when you put yourself out there and open to the world (rather than closed behind your desk). (To understand what I mean by Black Swan, click here to read my earlier post on the subject.)

Too often, we (and I am definitely speaking to myself here) get comfortable -- way too comfortable -- with our heads down and behind our desks. We are all working, because we have so much to do. But, especially for top management, we need to spend less time behind our desks, and more time simply being out there. Out there walking the halls with our teams. Out there with customers and potential customers. Out there with partners and potential partners. Out there with press and analysts. Out there with our board and our advisors. Out there ... well, you get the point. And, THAT point is absolutely critical.

On this trip, I had a chance to read "Rework", the great new book by 37signals founders, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. It is a book each of you should read -- it speaks to fundamental truths that are frequently overlooked. It is frequently contrarian and debunks other so-called "fundamental truths" about business success (and I generally agree with the authors in their debunkery). It is practical. It is compelling. And, it is an easy read (no long investment required -- I read it cover to cover in about 90 minutes). But, as much as I liked "Rework" (which I did), the authors failed to discuss what I believe to be one of the most fundamental truths of all -- i.e., the power of "planned serendipity." That is the missing chapter.

In fact, few books (or execs) sufficiently focus on this fundamental way to optimize the chances for you and your company to succeed -- which is to simply GET OUT THERE! So, plan your trip (but don't plan too much!). Buy that ticket! Yes, it is expensive. Yes, you will not be there in person for your team (but, that too is a good thing on occasion ... independence for both you and they).

I simply don't know precisely where some things will "go" as a result of this trip. But, I do know this -- I know that this trip strengthened relationships; forged new ones; sharpened my focus; gave me invaluable feedback I can take back to my teams; and started the wheels in motion for potential compelling opportunities that otherwise would have escaped me/our company had I not taken it (in other words, the potential for positive Black Swans). The rest is a mystery ... and how cool is that? That's what makes life exciting -- it's a box of chocolates, right?

So, re-think the amount of time you spend inside the office (and out). Rework. Chase that Black Swan ... and let it chase you.

(and, when in Europe, listen to MUSE as you walk the boulevards ... particularly "Exogenesis, Symphony Part I" -- wow, a cross between opera and Pink Floyd ... more on that in a later post).

Can Anyone Buy Me a Song Here in Zurich? Spotify, Rhapsody & Pandora Can't!

Okay -- so I am sitting here in my hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland -- nearing the end of my long-overdue European tour (and long-over due reunion with my wife and kids in San Diego). I have lots of work to do (and blog posts to write). I have great free broadband (well, it is at least bundled in my hotel bill as part of my room charge).

It is the perfect time for me to stream music, right? I love to work with music. So, here I am -- ready to push play on my current favorite band, Muse, but ...

... I can't use any of my pay online music services! Not Rhapsody ("We're sorry, but ..."). Not Pandora ("We are deeply, deeply sorry ...") (wow, at least they are passionately "sorry"!).

Not to worry, I am in Europe -- so I can finally try out the much-heralded (and overly-hyped) Euro-based Spotify, right?

WRONG again! Spotify -- like Rhapsody and Pandora -- simply doesn't have the requisite music licenses for Switzerland (or for a number of other Euro territories for that matter).

Now, in truth, I "get" this -- because (shh, don't tell anyone) I started my career as an entertainment and music attorney and understand the rights issues. But, that doesn't mean it is right. Music industry -- you need to "get" it. Licensing MUST change -- the process must change. The music services -- Rhapsody, Pandora, Spotify -- all want to have the right licenses -- but, it is a herculean task to get them.

Come on people -- this is 2010 (10 years after Napster started to decimate the industry)! While I ultimately used a legal alternative to my non-functional pay services -- i.e., my purchased iTunes tracks (yes, I have Muse thankfully) -- that is not the case with many (dare I say, most?) others. If they are frustrated, they simply will find what they want -- and, if that means not paying for it, then so be it! And, they will justify their theft by the fact that it simply is still frequently too hard to have a compelling and intuitive sanctioned music experience. It will be even worse than that for some -- some will be angry at the music industry for "making them do it" (in their minds). Theft begets more theft ... and so on ... and the vicious cycle continues ...

Time for a comprehensive music licensing solution. I know it sounds easy. And, it should be. But, again, being a recovered music/licensing attorney, I know it is incredibly complex. And, I certainly don't have the "Easy" button on this one ...

Vid.vu -- Sorenson's New Video Workflow Shortener -- NOT Just Another URL Shortening Service

Today, we officially announce Vid.vu -- our new video-centric URL shortening feature that is part of our upcoming Squeeze Server service that launches soon, very soon. Vid.vu is not just another URL shortening service -- there are many of those.

Vid.vu is intended to be different:

(1) it is video-focused (we can't think of any others out there, hence the name which is pronounced "Vid View") -- and video's demands are different;

(2) it is a seamless feature of the upcoming Squeeze Server service (rather than another shortening destination service in and of itself);

(3) it is intended to address the specific needs and workflow of the enterprise and video professional (in other words, it falls squarely within our mission here at Sorenson Media) -- I like to call it a video workflow shortener rather than simply a URL shortener (read why by clicking this link for the press release);

(4) these Vid.vu shortened URLS can be customized (that means enterprise/business customers and developers can brand their video URLs;

(5) these Vid.vu shortened URLs are SEO optimized and trackable from a metrics perspective (again, fundamental benefits for the enterprise/business and developer ); and

(6) these Vid.vu URLs are, of course, shortened and, hence, more logistically practical for distribution across the board, including for social media campaigns.

To read the full press release and learn more details -- click here.

That's what we think -- but, ultimately, it's about what you think. Let me know personally whether you find it to be a useful and compelling feature. Write a comment to my post or send a note to my attention at bizdev@sorensonmedia.com (I will definitely get back to you -- and appreciate your feedback).

And, stay tuned for our official Squeeze Server launch in the next several days -- we have been in private beta for several weeks and can't wait to hit the "live" button.

London Calling! Sorenson Squeeze Wins Coveted "Readers' Choice" Award ... Again

Eric Quanstrom, David Dudas and I are in London this week attending -- and speaking at -- the Streaming Media Europe conference. And, I am very pleased to report that Sorenson Media just tonight (London time) won the coveted "Readers' Choice" Award for Best Video Transcoding Solution in Europe!

This is a big deal for us. Ultimately, IT is all about our customers -- making innovative solutions that delight them. We have won the "Readers' Choice" Award three years running in the U.S., but this is the first time in Europe. And, this award a tremendous validation of our efforts (which means a lot to our entire team). It is also reflective of the global power of the Sorenson Media brand, as well as the growing strategic importance to our company of -- and opportunity in -- Europe (and the rest of the world).

The entire team at Sorenson Media is passionate -- and sweats the details. It is great to know that we are on the right track. Thanks to all for making this happen!

Ladies & Gentlemen -- Introducing Our New COO -- Eric Quanstrom!

Okay, so I can't contain myself. I am breaking my own press embargo to be the first to announce that Eric Quanstrom is our new COO (promoted from VP Marketing & Strategy). Let me assure you -- this does not mean that he is letting go any of his pre-existing responsibilities. I will have none of that! Rather, I am heaping several more responsibilities onto him! Why? Because he is smart, talented, dedicated, passionate and a true team player. He can handle it -- and he wants to handle it!

I had the good fortune of being introduced to Eric back in 2007 by fellow good guy Mark Ewen (a name many of you in the tech/mobile industry will know) -- and I immediately offered him the job of VP Marketing at my former company, SightSpeed. I then had the good fortune of him accepting that offer and seeing his talents first-hand. Bottom line -- Eric was a significant driver of our success at SightSpeed, which ultimately led to our acquisition by Logitech back in 2008.

Fast forward -- Eric agreed to join me at Sorenson Media after that acquisition (glutton for punishment???), where he has been a key driver of our overall success for his 1.5 years. And, he is a true business partner in every sense of the word.

Congratulations Eric -- truly well deserved. And, forgive me for jumping the gun. But, I had no choice in the matter. My flight from LAX to London (for Streaming Media Europe) departs shortly and I doubt American Airlines will have wi-fi!

(Stay tune for the official press release announcing this promotion in the hours ahead ....)

Sorenson Media Announces Q3 Results -- 4 Straight Quarters of 35% Plus Revenue Growth

Hot off the presses -- we just closed the books on Q3 here at Sorenson Media. And, am very pleased to report that we just finished with our 4th straight quarter of 35% or more revenue growth. Other highlights included partnering with Shutterfly to provide the video services to customers of their best-of-breed memory sharing site; and, releasing Sorenson Squeeze 6.5. Here is our full press release -- click here.

Yes, we are pleased with Q3 2010. But, we have so much more to do -- including the upcoming release of what we hope to be the highest quality server-side video transcoding solution -- Squeeze Server.

Let me know how we are doing -- I want to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly. Drop me a line to my attention at bizdev@sorensonmedia.com. And, I'll see you later in the week at Streaming Media Europe in London.

Sorenson Squeeze-ing Top Finalist for Streaming Media European "Readers Choice" Award

Over the weekend -- and just ahead of our participation at the upcoming Streaming Media Europe show in London -- we just learned that Squeeze 6 (our flagship product) has been named a top 3 finalist for the coveted European "Readers' Choice" award.

This means a lot to us, because these "Readers' Choice" awards are voted on by users of transcoding solutions -- the people we try to please with our products and services. And, this one means a lot to us because this is the first time we have been recognized in Europe (for the past 3 consecutive years, Squeeze has taken home the grand prize as winner of the best transcoding solution in the U.S.). And, as I recently wrote, Europe (and the international market in general) are increasingly important to us -- now generating a whopping 30% of our overall online revenues (with London being the #1 revenue-generating city by a long-shot).

We hope to take home the prize at the upcoming show -- and thank all the voters who have gotten us to this point. Continue Squeeze-ing, please!