Qsoft

Qsoft is a media company, specializing in producing some of the biggest online and TV content in the Middle East’s. Originally specialized in digital media management, Qsoft holds its place as the biggest YouTube partner in the MENA region. The company’s mission is to enable talents with compelling content to be professionally produced and distributed through the latest online and digital entertainment channels.^[1]

Qsoft;encompasses various specialized companies under its umbrella, such as Diwan Videos; one of the leading YouTube partners that specializes in managing and monetizing online content, EgyTheatres; which aims at reviving the theatre experience in Egypt through live-audience performances such as “ Al Bernameg" of the world-renowned political satirist Bassem Youssef, BIG Productions; a full-fledged production house and TubeStar Network (TSN); a multichannel network that aims at serving untapped talents in the MENA region through a scalable process that grows their YouTube presence, professionally manages their talents, and provides them with opportunities to reach the highest number of audience, taking un-served MENA talents from YouTube to TV.

History

Founded in 2007 by Tarek ElKazzaz, Qsoft was one of the first businesses to specialize in managing and monetizing online content in Egypt, paving the way for a revolutionary concept of digital entertainment and reshaping the media scene in the Arab World. The company expanded its YouTube operations in 2010 after partnering with Diwan Ltd. and its co-founder Ossama Youssef.

With a strategic partnership with YouTube, before its establishment in Egypt, Qsoft began as an online content manager. The company introduced a new business model to Egypt and the region, enabling its clients to own and manage their video assets on YouTube, while generating profit and fully exploiting their content’s potential and success. Applying innovative technologies and introducing a new concept to Egypt and the Middle East, Qsoft quickly gained success with many key clients such as Dream TV, Sout AlQahera, and AlMehwar channel.

Al-Bernameg with Bassem Youssef

In 2011 Qsoft expanded its operations by starting to produce its own content for the first time, namely the B+ Show on YouTube with Bassem Youssef. The show gained more than five million views in the first three months alone, consequently evolving the team to become IP owners and Executive Producers of Al-Bernameg with Bassem Youssef making the show the first Internet to TV conversion in the Middle East, dubbing Qsoft as the creator of “The Jon Stewart of the Arab World".^[2]

QSoft's CEO Tarek ElKazzaz, convinced an old friend Ahmed Abbas to join QSoft as COO and Project Director for AlBernameg to developing and upgrade the show into a multifaceted and global brand. Abbas hired a big team that covered many disciplines including marketing, operations, legal and public relations to make this possible. Supported by a professional and dedicated team encompassing some of the best talents in Egypt, Qsoft ventured on a new mission to create TV theatre programs that would mark the renaissance of the theatre industry in Egypt. Qsoft took its flagship production Al-Bernameg, from ONTV's small studio to the majestic building of Radio Theater located in Downtown Cairo, which is a replica of Radio City Hall in New York. The second season of Al-Bernameg, which premiered in November 2012 on CBC network, was the first show of its kind in the Middle East to have a live audience.^[3] The season recorded one of the highest viewership ratings on both TV and internet with 40 million viewers every week on TV and more than 184 million combined views for the show on its official channel on YouTube. Bassem Youssef became a media phenomenon with more than two million followers on Twitter and more than five million fans on Facebook. He was also named one of the most 100 influential people in 2013 by TIME magazine.^[4] Al Bernameg was chosen by South by Southwest, one of the largest international interactive festivals, as the first and most successful internet to TV conversion story in the Middle East. Al Bernameg YouTube channel was the first channel in the MENA region to reach one million subscribers and was awarded the gold button trophy. The 3rd season of Al-Bernameg aired for the first time in February 2014 on MBC Masr,^[5] however it was cancelled after 11 episodes.^[6]

Other productions

In addition to Al-Bernameg, Qsoft was instrumental in the success of a number of diverse productions; Bassem Youssef’s America in Arabic, Moez Masoud’s Thawra Ala AlNafs on CBC in Ramadan 2011, Ethbat Makanak music video for Cairokee band, and Mido’s animated educational videos executed through sister company, Diwan, and in collaboration with Google Egypt. Last but not least the very popular Amira Fel Matbakh, an online cooking show launched in 2011 that was later converted into a TV show on CBC as well.

BIG Productions

In 2013, Qsoft collaborated to create a production arm under the name “BIG Productions” led by Amr Ismail, the Executive Producer of Al-Bernameg. In a short period of time, the company has successfully worked on many TV productions such as Coca Cola’s campaign in Ramadan 2013, Tarek El Habib’s program in Ramadan 2013 “Abwab Al Nafs” on Abu Dhabi TV, and “Alf Akla w Akla” a comic cooking show that was aired in Ramadan 2013 on OSN. In addition, BIG Productions also participated in the re-launch on Abu Dhabi TV channel in December 2013.^[7]

Tube Star Network

QSoft’s company objective is to assist talented individuals by providing them access to professional production and distribution, and by enabling them to reach audiences through the latest internet-based entertainment channels. Their latest project, Tube Star Network (TSN), is a solution to discovering un-served talents in the MENA region through a scalable process that grows their YouTube presence, professionally manages their talents, and provides them with opportunities to reach the highest number of audience. Since its start in March 2013, TSN has recorded big success with 4.5 million views for TSN network and half a million fans on Facebook.

References