Written by Jeff Owen | Nov 2, 2015 5:00:00 AM
C Spire technology start up honored for launch of its industry-leading video-to-data (V2D) product
Norwalk, Conn. (October 28, 2015) – Vū Digital LLC , a Mississippi-based technology start up, has received the TMC 2015 communications solution product of the year award for the introduction earlier this year of its industry-first video-to-data (V2D) video analysis and search tool technology. The Ridgeland-based firm was among 118 companies recognized by TMC, a global integrated media conglomerate and leading source of news and information for the communications and technology industries worldwide. Other winners included ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Autobytel, Comcast, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Logitech, Polycom and XO Communications. One of TMC’s most coveted honors, the award highlights exceptional voice, data and video communications products and services introduced in the last 12 months. Vū Digital’s V2D product debuted in May. “A true leader in the video-to-data sector, Vū Digital is among the best-of-the-best technology solutions available on the market today,” said Rich Tehrani, CEO of TMC. TMC has been highlighting achievements by leading high-tech companies for over 20 years and the awards are considered among the most respected and prestigious in the communications and technology industry worldwide. “All of our winners represent prominent players in the tech world who are leaders in their respective sectors,” Tehrani added. Vū Digital’s computer vision algorithms help companies in the video value chain, content creators, curators, publishers, marketers and distributors, by converting all elements within video into metadata that can be used for search engine optimization, personalization, ad targeting and even determining the “brand value” of a video, including length and prominence of a product, logo or personality. “We appreciate the recognition from TMC, which serves as further validation that we offer the only single, comprehensive automated solution on the market today capable of organizing the unstructured data within video,” said B. Wade Smith, vice president of operations and development for Vū Digital, an affiliate of C Spire. ”V2D can be transformative for companies in a variety of sectors looking to unlock the power of video.” Vū’s V2D product can be applied to any video, including traditional television programming, online video and even security and surveillance footage. With industry research indicating that 80 percent of the world’s Internet traffic will be video by 2017, Smith said content providers need to be better prepared to manage and maximize return on investment from unstructured data. The recognition drew praise from Innovate Mississippi, a statewide group that helps innovation-based startup companies by connecting entrepreneurs with investors. Innovate President and CEO Tony Jeff said the award is further proof that the state is starting to gain some well-deserved attention and a reputation as an emerging leader in technology applications for Internet video. “It’s not every day that a Mississippi company is mentioned in the same breath alongside some of the world’s technology giants, but thanks to C Spire and Vū Digital, it’s becoming more common.” Jeff says Vū Digital’s V2D technology is one of the best examples of development of a home-grown software solution using very complex vision science techniques to solve an industry problem. “We’re pleased that a Mississippi-based technology startup has been honored, but we’re not surprised,” he said. “When you develop a truly innovative solution to a real-world problem, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re based.” In addition to the TMC award, Vū Digital was selected earlier this year to be part of the National Association of Broadcasters’ year-long SPROKIT accelerator program for innovative startups in media and entertainment.
About Vū Digital Vū Digital was formed through a commitment to delivering new and innovative solutions for digital content. Vū’s Video-to-Data (V2D) product instantly converts video and audio into the machine-readable medium that search engines, databases, natural language processing (NLP), and distributors know and love best: words. The core technology includes splitting a video into two components: audio and video frames. Both components are then processed using automated speed recognition (ASR), text extraction from images and facial and image recognition. The output is metadata that includes time-stamped references to individual frames. This industry-first approach enables video classification/clustering, search engine indexing and content personalization, including targeted advertising. Vū’s algorithms and the use of an advanced architecture for distributing jobs for processing are patent pending and are one-of-a-kind in the marketplace. Vū is headquartered in Ridgeland, Miss. and is an affiliate of C Spire, a Mississippi-based diversified telecommunications and technology services company. For more information, visit
www.vudigital.com.