iWorld
IOT group co’s exclusive agreement to stream content to over 100 APAC countries
MUMBAI: IOT Group Limited subsidiary – OTT Premium Pty Ltd – has entered an exclusive agreement to bring Xstream’s over-the-top media streaming platform to Australia and more than 100 countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Xstream, one of the only independently owned tier-one streaming companies in the world, offers telcos, broadcasters, production and film companies and content owners with the full end to end over-the-top platform to deliver content which can be viewed on any device, at anytime, anywhere.
OTT Premium will be headed up by Bob Morrison who joined Xstream as managing director, Asia Pacific in 2015 to launch, manage and grow Xstream’s operations across the region, after earlier spending 12 months on the board of Xstream. Bob is a known business strategist and respected industry leader bringing with him over 25 years of entertainment, media, television, content and OTT experience.
The Xstream technology will allow global content to be delivered instantly and seamlessly to Australian audiences – and Australian content to be delivered to new audiences around the world. Existing Xstream clients include Telenor (the world’s fourth biggest telco), Spark New Zealand (formerly Telecom New Zealand) and Bollywood’s largest production studio – Balaji Telefilms and is in discussion with some major players in the APAC region. In addition, OTT Premium will be adopting Xstream’s dynamic business model which means no matter the size of the client, OTT Premium will cohesively scale with each client’s individual needs.
“This partnership will expand the reach of an Australian tech company across the entire region,” said IOT Group Executive Director Duffell. “There is a gap in the market for customers looking for unique content delivered as and when they want it. There’s numerous streaming and VOD services offering mass content, few of which offer tailored viewing or multilingual channels to address unique tastes. The Xstream platform already has access to over 10,000+ hours of homeland television and continues to grow.”
“This partnership presents a huge opportunity for Australian broadcasters and telcos to bring previously unseen global TV content to local audiences, and provides a platform for Australian artists and production companies to bring their new content to a global stage,” Morrison said.
Xstream CEO Simon Hoegsbro commented: ““The entire Asia Pacific region is experiencing tremendous growth in online video viewership. Entering this new era with OTT Premium will allow us to meet the increasing demand for our technology in this region. We are honoured that OTT Premium has chosen Xstream to spearhead its reach into the Asia-Pacific region and we are committed to working with OTT Premium to offer a flexible, best in class OTT platform across the Asia Pacific continuing our commitment to simplify the complexity of Internet TV for our customers “
Over-the-Top (OTT) applications and services are the platform that delivers streaming and video-on-demand services to use on mobiles, tablet, web, smart TV, set-top-box and consoles and mobile devices. OTT providers are poised for scale and growth as they deliver user content over the Internet bypassing traditional distribution channels more generally, at a lower cost. Examples include Netflix and Apple TV (replacing your regular TV provider) or Skype (replacing your long distance provider).
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
