Akimbo's Latest Internet VOD Solution

Akimbo, a Silicon Valley company that was first in Internet video delivery is back, this time with a complete Internet Video On Demand (VOD) solution for content providers’ own websites.



Akimbo supports multiple business models including ad-supported, transactional, subscription, download-to-own, download-to-burn, pay-per-minute, gift cards, account credits and more.

According to Thomas Frank its president, “One of the most important pieces missing in the stampede to the Internet video market has been an easy solution for content owners to control the marketing and sale of their own video assets, Until now, content owners have been forced to use incomplete solutions or rely entirely on distribution deals to publish professional content. We have engineered a solution that allows content owners to take control of their own destiny without incurring costly infrastructure expenses or unreasonable revenue splits with third parties.”

The first company to utilize Akimbo's solution is MavTV, a multi-platform programming venture targeting male viewers. Check it out and tell me what you think. Or upload your own video. They are always looking for video clips filled with humor and craziness, or even those that are just plain hard-core. (Their definition.)

Submitting your video (or videos) is super easy and fast. Simply follow the step-by-step instructions you'll be rolling like a video superstar. Keep in mind, they only accept the following file formats: .wmv, .asf, .asx, .mpg, .mpeg, .mov, .divx, and don’t send files larger than 5 MB.

Ustream.tv Live: Covering the 2008 Presidential Candidates

Video streaming site Ustream.tv (see my previous post) seems to have connected with politically savvy viewers and soldiers. Facing competition from Kyte, Justin.tv, and others, it has done a great job of carving out a niche for itself. A number of presidential candidates have used it to hold live question-and-answer sessions with the public. Here is a stream (if it's "on air"), captured from Mitt Romney's New Hampshire's primary election night coverage...



Ustream has made it easy for soldiers serving overseas to connect with their families. This must have been a pet project of the company’s co-founders, who were cadets at West Point together and served in the army for a  number of years. Former four-star general and presidential hopeful Wesley Clark also joined advisory board too, and "coincidentally," they received funding from Frank Caulfield, co-founder of Kleiner Perkins , the Silicon Valley VC powerhouse.

They say more than 115,000  people have joined Ustream since it launched in March, spending over one million hours on the site per month. Not bad!

Cybercast credit: Ustream