As regular readers of WebTVWire will know, Vuze is a video
content distribution company built upon the
P2P-based platform Azureus.
It’s similar to the iTunes TV shop in that it provides easy
access to professionally-produced material both new and old –
albeit with one great distinction: most of the stuff is free.
Making Headlines
Fairly recently, Vuze made a few headlines through the
issuance of a petition to the FCC to investigate and halt
ISPs’ practices of throttling bandwidth and network access
to restrict the proliferation of data sent across the Internet via the
BitTorrent protocol.
It has demanded a stop to such selective restriction for the
fact that it’s business model is wholly reliant on the
technology, and stated that any blocks would shackle its business plan
to the point of inoperability and out-and-out failure.
Attracting Further Investment
That said, the company is nonetheless maintaining a rosy look
on the future, and even just yesterday divulged to the press its
success in attracting further investment ($20m) from a selection of
venture capitalists, including: New
Enterprise Associates, Redpoint Ventures,
Greycroft
Partners, BV
Capital, and Jarl Mohn.
Furthermore, Vuze managed also to recruit Mike Ramsay, a
founder and former CEO of TiVo,
the popular digital video recorder manufacturer and service provider,
to its Board of Directors.
Surely such developments bode quite well for the business. If
nothing else, they will prove a collective boost to its corporate and
public relations campaigns.
Faster Progress
Of course, both the cash infusion and Ramsay’s
addition likely don’t portend phenomenal growth or anything
of that sort in the months ahead. Vuze will probably continue on the
path it’s chosen, albeit with a touch more haste.
One shouldn’t expect any surprises or momentous
changes as a result of the abovementioned gains, but perhaps it will
show itself to be a bit more energetic as a result and more quickly
expand its library.
Also, having a former head of TiVo join the ranks, if only to
participate in board-level discussions and deliberations –
rather than, say, exercise executive powers – could rightly be
interpreted as a sign of confidence in Vuze’s efforts. Which,
too, may prove a notable propellant.
Conclusions
The fact that the company has in a short time established ties
with a great litany of partners, some more well-known than others (BBC,
A&E, and G4, to name a few), is no small feat, and
Ramsay’s affiliation could add fuel to the fire, as they say,
and nudge Vuze forward a significant degree.
All in all, Vuze appears well en route to the next round of
the IPTV wars (if one can call them so). Whether it survives in the
long run is far too difficult to foretell, but if it manages to retain
and steady grow its resources throughout 2008, it’s bound to
make an exceptional name for itself. That is if it maintains its
independence, anyhow.
Paul Glazowski is a contributing author discussing the social networking world, his work can be found on Profy.com
