blinkx

blinkx Inc.
Public
Traded as LSE: BLNX
Industry Internet services
Founded San Francisco, California, USA Cambridge, England, UK
(July, 2004)
Headquarters San Francisco, USA
Website blinkx.com

Blinkx (London AIM,[1] stylized as blinkx), is an Internet Media platform that connects online video viewers with publishers and distributors, using advertising to monetize those interactions. blinkx has an index of over 35 million hours of video and 800 media partnerships; 111 patents related to the site's search engine technology, which is known as CORE.[2]

Founded in 2004, blinkx went public on the London Stock Exchange (AIM) in May, 2007. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA and London, England.

Partnerships

Through its flagship site, blinkx.com, blinkx pioneered video search on the Internet, developing an engine based on technology that was conceived at Cambridge University, enhanced by $150M in R&D over 15 years, and is now protected by 111 patents. Today, blinkx is a broad digital media technology, distribution and monetization platform that connects consumers, advertisers and content across four screens. Through its partnerships with hundreds of media companies, including NBC, Conde Nast, Reuters and Bloomberg, blinkx has indexed and search enabled millions of hours of video content. blinkx powers video search, discovery or monetization on thousands of online properties including Lycos, Discovery Networks, Hallmark and Fox Sports. blinkx continues to pioneer innovative approaches to digital video distribution, expanding into mobile video and Connected TV through partnerships with Samsung, Sony, Roku and other industry leaders.[3]

History

Adware Controversy

A lengthy criticism of blinkx by Harvard Business School Associate Professor[40] Ben Edelman, published in January 2014,[41] sought to prove that blinkx continued the adware operations of two companies it acquired, Prime Visibility Media Group[42] and Zango,[43] and was defrauding advertisers. Blinkx responded point-by-point in March 2014, stating that it did not install adware without user consent and it they did not wholly acquire Zango or its assets.[44] An earlier, 2009 blog post by Ken Smith, Zango co-founder and former CTO, supported Edelman's assertion that blinkx acquired all of Zango's assets.[45]

Forbes contributor Peter Cohan claimed that Edelman's post caused a massive drop in blinkx's stock price,[46] and further noted that blinkx's initial, now-deleted corporate response on 30 January 2014[47] was largely an attack on Edelman's methods, rather than on the content of his analysis. However, New York Times blogger Mark Scott theorized that Edelman's undisclosed client(s), who funded his research on blinkx, may have been hedge funds who profited from shorting the drop in blinkx's stock price.[48]

Endelman published further research in April 2014, claiming that blinkx offered users deceptive software installers and used deceptive pop-up advertisements.[49] He continued to defend his claim that blinkx purchased all of Zango's assets, including its physical headquarters, and argued that an FTC order against Zango in 2007[50] may still apply to blinkx. A section of the post co-authored with digital fraud investigation consultant Wesley Brandi also defended and furthered his initial claims that blinkx was defrauding its advertising affiliates.[51]

Executives

See also

References

  1. ↑ BLNX.L London AIM
  2. ↑ "About". Blinkx. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  3. ↑ "About". Blinkx. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Blinkx' original web page". May 14, 2005. Archived from the original on May 14, 2005. Retrieved July 12, 2007.
  5. ↑ "blinkx Unveils Search Engine for TV". Lost Remote. December 16, 2004. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Blinkx Gives Users Their RSS TV". PC World. July 19, 2005. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Blinkx to lead in video search engine". PhysOrg. July 6, 2006. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Microsoft Signs blinkx to Video Search". Jupiter Online Media. October 9, 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
  9. ↑ "Coveted Award Recognizes Innovation and Significance of New 'blinkx it'". Internet Archive. February 8, 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  10. ↑ "blinkx launches contextual online video search ad platform". Search Engine Watch. June 25, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Tune in With blinkx beat: blinkx Brings Personalized Video Bulletins Straight to the Desktop". Reuters. March 19, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Blinkx BBTV brings Web interactivity to TV, film". CNET. April 1, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  13. ↑ "blinkx Advanced Media Platform Unlocks the Potential of Video Assets for Publishers, Content Owners and Producers". Internet Archive. May 6, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Blinkx Launches TV Search Service". Wired. August 13, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  15. ↑ "Blinkx Debuts 'Un-Roll' Streaming Video Ad Unit". MediaPost. December 29, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Zango goes titsup". The Register. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  17. ↑ "NIELSEN ANNOUNCES JULY U.S. ONLINE VIDEO USAGE DATA". Bloomberg. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  18. ↑ Holton, Kate (April 27, 2010). "Video search Blinkx launches ad service based on viewers' habits". Reuters. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Blinkx video search goes mobile". Metro. May 18, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Video search engine blinkx unveils mobile API". IntoMobile. July 24, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  21. ↑ blinkx Beat for Google TV
  22. ↑ "Cheep Combines Product Comparisons With Social Shopping". TechCrunch. October 26, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Now Showing At Video Search Engine Blinkx: Profits". TechCrunch. November 9, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Blinkx enters connected TV ecosystem". Broadband TV News. February 2, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  25. ↑ "woomi Incorporates blinkx Video Content in OTT Offering". Internet Archive. February 15, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  26. ↑ "Blinkx Adds Search App to Boxee". Streaming Media Magazine. February 18, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  27. ↑ "Blinkx buys Burst for $30 million to boost online TV". Reuters. April 8, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  28. ↑ "blinkx Provides Content to Roku With New App". tmcnet.com. May 30, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  29. ↑ "blinkx Appoints Frank Pao Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and General Counsel". PR Newswire. October 5, 2011.
  30. ↑ "blinkx Announces Partnership With Orb Networks to Bring 35 Million Hours of TV, Video and Audio to Orb TV and Orb BR Users". Betanews.com. November 1, 2011.
  31. ↑ "Blinkx Buys PVMG For Engine And Agency". MediaPost. November 9, 2011.
  32. ↑ "blinkx Receives U.S. Patent Grant for Moving Thumbnails Technology". PR Newswire. January 26, 2012.
  33. ↑ "Forty Under 40: Suranga Chandratillake". San Francisco Business Times. February 24, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Blinkx reaches 100 million users milestone". M&M Global. March 27, 2012.
  35. ↑ "Blinkx founder becomes chief strategy officer". Broadband TV News. July 20, 2012.
  36. ↑ "blinkx Founder Elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering". Reuters. July 25, 2012.
  37. ↑ "BLINKX OPENS UP BETA OF NEXT-GEN VIDEO SEARCH AND DISCOVERY SITE". ConnectedWorld.tv. September 18, 2012.
  38. ↑ "Blinkx names Dan Slivjanovski senior VP marketing". Telecompaper. October 24, 2012.
  39. ↑ "blinkx's Next Generation Video Search And Discovery Site Goes Global With Full Availability". PR Newswire. January 22, 2013.
  40. ↑ "Benjamin G. Edelman - Faculty". Harvard Business School. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  41. ↑ Benjamin, Edelman (30 January 2014). "The Darker Side of Blinkx". Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  42. ↑ "ACQUISITION OF PRIME VISIBILITY MEDIA GROUP, INC. BY BLINKX PLC AND TRADING STATEMENT". blinkx. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  43. ↑ "Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 March 2010" (PDF). blinkx plc. p. 38. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  44. ↑ blinkx plc (31 March 2014). "COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO RECENT SHARE PRICE VOLATILITY". Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  45. ↑ Ken, Smith (26 April 2009). "Blinkx Acquired 100% of Zango’s Assets". Confessions of a Would-Be Theologian. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  46. ↑ Peter, Cohan (3 February 2014). "Harvard Prof's Blog Post Slashes Blinkx Stock Price 21%". Forbes. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  47. ↑ Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20140130-708841.html. Retrieved 27 March 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  48. ↑ Mark, Scott (31 January 2014). "Critic of Online Ad Firm Blinkx Is Part of the Controversy". Bits. New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  49. ↑ Benjamin, Edelman (9 April 2014). "Blinkx Adware Revisited: Installation and Operation". Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  50. ↑ "Zango 180solutions Decision and Order" (PDF). Federal Trade Commission. 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  51. ↑ Benjamin Edelman; Wesley Brandi (9 April 2014). "Blinkx Adware Revisited: Installation and Operation: Defrauding Affiliate Merchants". Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  52. ↑ http://www.blinkx.com/corporate/about/executive-team

External links