Large, international investors are finding the online video space an attractive place for investment these days. In the most recent news Ooyala "has announced a $22 million Series D round, led by the CID Group, a Shanghai-based venture capital firm and ITOCHU Technology Ventures, the venture unit of the Tokyo-based ITOCHU," according to TechCrunch.
Industry observer Jim O'Neill notes that "Ooyala CEO Jay Fulcher said online video in the APAC region is expanding rapidly and having CID and ITV aboard as investors would help Ooyala grow in the area. CID, which has more than $1 billion under management."
Ooyala is in online video technology, including video analytics and monetization. With Ooyala's online video platform, content owners can get viewer insights for increased video engagement and better monetization. Customers are mostly global media companies and web marketers, including Endemol, Fremantle Media, Johnson & Johnson, Telegraph Media Group and Vice Magazine.
The round, which includes previous investors like Sierra Ventures and Rembrandt Venture Partners, TechCrunch says, "puts the video publishing platform at $42 million raised since its 2007 launch. And according to CEO Jay Fulcher, the company is not done. In order to accommodate robust demand (the latest round was over-subscribed), Ooyala will take on additional investors later this year in a second closing."
Read more here.
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Ye Official Google Blog Speaketh, All Mortals Keep Silence:
The topic for today is cyberbullies. Google is launching a Family Safety Center, company officials say, describing it as "a one-stop shop about staying safe online. We've included advice from leading child safety organizations around the world, tips and ideas from parents here at Google, as well as information on how to use the safety tools and controls built into Google products."
The Family Safety Center is just one of several new tools launched by the search giant this week," said industry observer Tom Royal. "Yesterday it announced its new Google Instant search system, while a few days ago it updated its Gmail email service with a new Priority Inbox tool."
For day-to-day practical tips, the blog says, "we asked some of our parents at Google to share their own ideas. Tactics they use range from limiting screen time and preventing computers in kids' bedrooms to ad hoc checks on their browser history and social networking profiles."
Read more here.
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It's a good question: "Is VoIP right for my small business?"
That question is answered in a white paper from hosted VoIP and unified communications provider Aptela. Too much good stuff to fully detail here, the paper itself is well worth a read. Highlights:
Traditional Phone Networks Are Not Designed for Small Business. Even in a robust economic environment, traditional phone services are rarely the best fit for a small business. In tighter times, the consequences of this poor fit become even easier to see. Traditional phone service can hurt a small business's prospects for growth or survival by draining money and hampering productivity. Small business owners who are looking to squeeze every last measure of savings, efficiency and productivity from all of their office systems can ill-afford the drawbacks of traditional phone service.
VoIP: Changing The Way Small Businesses Do Business. Small businesses no longer have to "make do" with phone systems that were designed for fundamentally different enterprises. Hosted Voice over IP (VoIP) networks are changing the way small businesses respond to today's communication challenges. VoIP technology uses the Internet to transmit voice data instead of traditional phone lines.
Read more here.
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You've decided you're ready for VoIP. Congratulations. Here are six steps, courtesy of hosted VoIP provider Aptela, to give you a successful experience. The entire white paper these are excerpted from is worth reading, of course:
Step 1: Define Your High-Level Needs. Whether your office will experience good quality VoIP services depends on a variety of factors-- including your patterns of traffic and usage, existing network capacity, and existing data bandwidth. Get started by creating a clear picture of your VoIP needs, by asking yourself questions such as what are your calling habits? For example, does your office have primarily outbound calls or inbound calls? Domestic or international dialing? Are employees local, remote or mobile?
Step 2: Identify Your Current Network Capabilities. Problems with call quality are usually related to limited bandwidth within the local network. To protect against quality issues, it is essential to assess your current environment and budget for VoIP usage. You may need to make additional investment in a new Internet Service provider, increased bandwidth or a QoS (Quality of Service) router--an investment that will be recouped through your new VoIP service.
Read more here.
