Telecom Lead Europe: Telefonica Digital has acquired TokBox, a video communications platform.
The acquisition of TokBox is part of Telefonica Digital’s strategy of driving innovation in its core business of communications, with capabilities that will now extend beyond voice and messaging to live video.
Telefonica Digital did not disclose the size of the acquisition.
The U.S.based TokBox’s OpenTok Video Platform enables the rapid development of live video-based communications services through the simple addition of video calling into websites and mobile applications.
The European telecom major will leverage TokBox’s Platform to enhance the communication services, adding cross-platform Web-based video communications to its existing voice and messaging capabilities.
Moreover, Telefonica will TokBox’s video platform both directly via tailored solutions and through the provision of APIs and applications. Telefonica and TokBox will work to incorporate video APIs into the BlueVia platform, creating a unified video, voice and text API service.
“Telefónica is all about empowering our customers through new and innovative digital services. By adding TokBox’s unique capabilities to our communications portfolio, we will allow our customers to leverage the full potential of web-based video communications in their own business models,” said Matthew Key, CEO of Telefonica Digital.
“Despite all our progress to date we are still in the early stages of the industry and this is a very exciting opportunity to accelerate the development of the OpenTok platform and rapidly expand its global reach and presence,” said Ian Small, CEO of TokBox.
Ian Small will remain as CEO of TokBox and Carlos Domingo, director of Product Development & Innovation at Telefonica Digital, will join the TokBox Board of Directors and become chairman of the company.
