SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project addresses a significant need facing video industry - how to monetize online video. There were over 11.5 billion online videos watched in USA only in July 2008. The online video consumption trend is increasing approximately 10% - to 13% monthly. The current approach to monetize online video is limited and does not scale. The intellectual merit of the proposed research is to assess the feasibility of a new and unique approach to monetize online video through an Interactive video based "Contextual" and "Dynamic" Ad insertion technology platform. A new algorithm/methodology/framework will be designed and an alpha prototype of the Interactive video based dynamic Ad insertion technology will be proven feasible. The key value proposition of this interactive video based contextual and dynamic Ad insertion technology is a new way to enhance end-user engagement with advanced business intelligence. The video publisher will have a new approach to monetize their online video assets with high scalability. The advertisers will have a unique tool to advertise and communicate about their products and services to target customers. The end users will have highly-engaging access to personalized and relevant information about a product or service. If proven successful, the technology would allow interactivity within the online video thus allowing end users quick call-to-action within the video in a novel way that will represent significant value for multiple stakeholders. This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will address a significant problem for Video Publishers: How to enhance the monetization of online video content. Online video is more than doubling in consumption year over year (31 billion views in November 2009). However, it is believed that the video publishers are not able to fully capitalize on this massive online video trend because they are using a single source revenue model via Pre-, Mid- and Post-Roll advertising that has limited revenue opportunity, declining prices, and negative viewer experiences. 2Cimple is developing a solution, an Interactive Video Applications Platform that has the potential to increase a publisher's online video revenue. This platform, dynamically associates and pushes relevant interactive video applications to consumers while providing a "user-controlled" opt-in environment that results in a higher degree of viewer experience and engagement. The platform is built on flexible and scalable client-server architecture based on industry-standard technology components. The technology uniqueness includes a dynamically configurable Video Player, an application server capable of automatic video context detection and dynamic application insertion, an open application development platform, integrated video and application analytics, customized reports, and a simplified management system. If successful, the platform has commercialization potential that introduces efficiency into the online video value chain by increasing revenue for publishers, optimizing budgets for sponsors, and providing a higher degree of engagement and enhanced viewing experience for consumers. This platform will enable a new web-based eco-system built around online video that will spur advancements and innovation in video and software technologies and provide economical benefits to all participants. The platform provides a brand new engagement model enabling "user-controlled" contextually relevant, dynamically-inserted, call-to-action applications and other rich media experiences