Blueapple.mobi is coming out of stealth mode with a new name and redesigned online and mobile services.
The new name is Vuclip, and its mission, in concept, is to be the Google of mobile video. Vuclip doesn’t develop content; rather, it offers a search function so users can find their desired video and have it delivered to their cell phone.
The problem with video in mobile today is it’s a fragmented space. Screen sizes vary along with the types of devices, and video must be modified for each one, said Nickhil Jakatdar, CEO of Vuclip. Network speeds vary from 2.5G to 3G and Wi-Fi, and operating systems in phones differ as well.
If an end-user searches the Web and finds a video of, say, his nephew, Vuclip’s technology will take that video and convert it for the end-user’s specific device. It’s done through the phone’s browser; some information is inherently available, but Vuclip adds some of its own know-how to determine how to best format the video for the device. Jakatdar said Vuclip works on more than 2,000 handsets in 130 countries.
As Blueapple.mobi, the service attracted a lot of users without any significant marketing spend by the company, which used the base of early users to prove out the system. Some carriers – outside the United States – did notice increased traffic and ended up contacting the company, not because they were upset about excessive bandwidth usage but they wanted to explore ways to increase their data ARPU, he said.
For the B2B space, Vuclip is making its Video API Program available to publishers to leverage the Vuclip technology platform so they can deliver online video content to mobile users. The program offers plug-and-play capabilities with minimal developer resources, according to the company.
Based in Milipitas, Calif., Vuclip was self-funded in its early iteration and completed its first Series A financing in January, raising $8 million.
