On Wednesday, Microsoft announced the acquisition of California-based video discovery technology company VideoSurf Inc.
Although financial details were not immediately disclosed, Microsoft is believed to have coughed up a pretty penny to make the deal happen.
Founded in 2006, VideoSurf offers a back-end computer vision technology that “sees” frames inside videos to make discovering content fast, easy and accurate. According to Microsoft’s announced plans, the tech giant will integrate this technology across its entertainment platform to augment the Xbox 360 ecosystem and evolve search and discovery of entertainment content on Xbox LIVE.
“VideoSurf’s content analytics technology will enhance the search and discovery of entertainment content across our platform,” says Alex Garden, director of Xbox LIVE for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “This holiday we will launch voice search across our entertainment partners on Xbox LIVE. Over time, as we integrate VideoSurf’s technology into our system, we are excited about the potential to have content tagged in real time to increase the speed and relevance of the search results.”
“Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Division is at the leading edge of connected entertainment,” adds Lior Delgo, CEO and co-founder of VideoSurf. “We are incredibly excited to be working together on our mutual passion for creating amazing consumer experiences and reinventing how consumers search, discover and enjoy content on their televisions.”
In the coming months, Microsoft will bring nearly 40 prominent TV and entertainment providers to Xbox LIVE, including Bravo, Comcast, HBO GO, Verizon FiOS and Syfy in the U.S.; BBC in the U.K.; Telefónica in Spain; Rogers On Demand in Canada; Televisa in Mexico; ZDF in Germany; and Mediaset in Italy.
