iWorld
Harmonic and Veygo team up to deliver end-to-end ott solution, successfully deployed by indonesia’s AMTV
MUMBAI: Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in video delivery technology and services; and Veygo, a leading provider of multiscreen user experience software solutions for the broadcast, media and entertainment industries; today announced they have teamed up to create an end-to-end SaaS solution for OTT video delivery. Veygo’s Meta_Video Player™ for content and subscriber management, secure player, analytics and applications, has been integrated with Harmonic’s Electra™ media processor and VOS™ 360 media processing SaaS to provide operators with a cloud-based, pay-as-you-grow solution that speeds up the time to market for OTT offerings. The combined Veygo-Harmonic solution has been successfully deployed by Indonesian streaming provider AMTV for its new premium multiscreen service.
“Today’s OTT service providers are keen on providing exceptional quality of experience to end-users on every screen,” said Jean-Christophe Perier, Founder and CEO at Veygo. “The secret behind our winning solution with Harmonic is an off-the-shelf application combined with real-time analytics enabling unparalleled QoE monitoring and personalization capabilities, thus boosting user engagement and retention for multiscreen service providers.”
Harmonic’s VOS 360 SaaS handles the entire media processing chain from ingest to playout, compression, packaging and OTT delivery for both live and on-demand content. Being a cloud-based solution, it offers video content and service providers increased agility and scalability, which are critical in the OTT environment. OTT services can be scaled up and down based on actual needs, a capability that is particularly useful for managing ad-hoc events.
“The workflow integration between Veygo and Harmonic solutions is absolutely seamless,” said Aldo Bon Suriasantika, COO at AMTV Media. “Working with two specialists in their respective fields — Veygo for data-driven user experience and Harmonic for cloud-based media processing — allows us to focus on the content and marketing aspects of our new multiscreen business, entrusting the technology and content delivery to the experts.”
“A typical predicament for content providers is the desire to swiftly launch an OTT service without having the time or the resources to integrate technology solutions from multiple vendors and validate a platform,” said Tony Berthaud, Vice President of Sales, APAC, at Harmonic. “Harmonic’s open architecture solutions philosophy and extensive range of pre-integrated ecosystem partners help to speed up and uncomplicate that process. Harmonic and Veygo are at the leading edge of new OTT technologies, enabling innovations such as low-latency OTT delivery via the new CMAF specification.”
Harmonic will showcase its award-winning Electra and VOS solutions portfolios at the 2018 NAB Show, April 9-12, in Las Vegas at booth SU810. Further information about Harmonic and the company’s solutions is available at www.harmonicinc.com.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
