VITEC has decided to complement its existing work in advanced video encoding and streaming products by buying an 8% stake in Anevia, a provider of OTT and IPTV software.
Founded in 2003 by the developers of the VLC media player, Anevia has developed software platforms for cloud DVR and multiscreen applications (see, for example, "Thomson Teams with Anevia on OTT"). Customers include TV broadcasters, Tier 1 and 2 telecom service providers, and other private and public companies (see "Anevia Aims at WebTV for Hospitality"). In announcing its new stake holding, VITEC touted recent revisions in Anevia's product lineup as well as "cost restructuring within some areas of the organization" as having led to a return to growth and improved profitability.
"Like VITEC, innovation has always been at the heart of Anevia's development, enabling its teams to constantly offer the most advanced technologies in its sector," said Philippe Wetzel, CEO of VITEC. "This stake is confirmation of Anevia's relevance and positioning in the market. We hope to contribute in accelerating the company's development by offering our complementary expertise and access to our network."
VITEC offers H.265 (HEVC) and H.264 technology to enable combined broadcasting and live streaming capabilities (see, for example, "VITEC to Show Compression, Streaming Gear"). These products include broadcast-grade streaming appliances and IPTV and digital products, which it sells to broadcast news agencies, military units and government departments, multisite houses of worship, business corporations, and multipurpose arenas and stadiums.