IBM Corp. is expanding its footprint in the cloud video market, releasing a new software line that enables broadcast-quality live video feeds, the Armonk, N.Y.-based tech giant announced today.
The company also revealed a host of new clients for its Clearleap streaming platform, including Japanese auto maker Mazda Motor Corp., Canadian-American film and television studio Lionsgate Entertainment Corp., and the CBC.
IBM’s live streaming software, which will be powered by subsidiary Aspera’s new FASPStream (Fast and Secure Protocol) code, and the company’s new Clearleap partnerships were both revealed at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas on April 18, with IBM demonstrating FASPStream with three live camera feeds from South Africa, China, and New York state.
To provide Aspera’s clients and their users with broadcast-quality video, which IBM promises can stream from anywhere in the world with a delay of two seconds or less, FASPStream transfers a camera’s 50-Mbps source code across multiple networks, so that if a stream fails on one it can instantly be routed to another. The streams are also encrypted and must be authenticated by their player, ensuring security, IBM said in a statement.
One of FASPStream’s first clients, and the creator of its New York video demonstration, will be Broadway Video Entertainment, a film and television studio founded by Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels.
IBM and CBC also announced today that the popular broadcaster would be using the tech giant’s Clearleap platform to power its new ad-supported streaming video service, which will allow viewers across Canada to watch more than 600 CBC titles on browsers, iOS, and Android devices.
“Our collaboration with CBC demonstrates the company’s continued commitment to innovation, and to making its content broadly available on every screen, platform and device through an excellent user experience,” Braxton Jarratt, co-founder of Clearleap and general manager of IBM’s Cloud Video Unit, said in a statement.
Finally, Lionsgate announced today that the Clearleap platform would be powering Comic-Con HQ, a new subscription-based video-on-demand service that will allow viewers to both virtually attend events organized by partner Comic-Con International and watch a mix of original series, entertainment news, and genre films and TV shows.
