Company deepens investment in the region to capitalize on increased demand for broadcast-quality video content on every screen
DUBAI, February 3, 2014 – Brightcove (NASDAQ: BCOV), a leading global provider of cloud services for video, today announced the expansion of its operations with the opening of its office in Dubai UAE. The Dubai office will serve as the central hub for Brightcove's business development and marketing efforts in the Middle East and Northern Africa region. The new office will be headed by Brahim Laraiki, a sales leader who has previously held positions with Orange, Lenovo and Microsoft. Laraiki will work under the direction of Sue Thexton, senior vice president of EMEA.
Brightcove is already working with a number of major media and broadcast organizations in the region, including Al Jazeera, My Dubai My City, Abu Dhabi Media and CNBC Africa.
"Since the company launched in 2004, Brightcove has pursued strategic international growth in order to keep pace with global demand for premium online video distribution, management and monetization services," Thexton said. "We are excited to open a new office in the Middle East and look forward to helping media organizations and brands across the region make the most of their video assets by increasing reach and driving more engagement and advertising revenue."
Demand for access to broadcast-quality online video in the Middle East is driven by widespread local access to high-speed Internet and the proliferation of smartphones and other mobile devices. According to a report by analyst firm Frost & Sullivan1, in Gulf Cooperation Council countries more than half of the population has access to the Internet and evidence suggests that consumers increasingly watch content on video-capable, Internet-connected devices. The same report also found that time spent watching online video equals time spent watching TV across the Middle East. This shift in consumer behavior is causing traditional content creators to accelerate and expand their multi-platform distribution initiatives.
To capitalize on the fast-growing video opportunity in the Middle East, Brightcove offers a comprehensive suite of cloud services that allow major media companies and premier brands to publish, distribute and monetize high-quality live and on-demand video on any device or screen. Brightcove products and services help publishers to maximize the reach and business impact of their content without sacrificing control of the end-user experience or risking unauthorized access.
1Frost & Sullivan, "Online Video Platforms: An Analysis of Market Opportunity in the Middle East;" December 2012.
About Brightcove
Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOV), a leading global provider of cloud services for video, offers a family of products that revolutionize the way organizations deliver video experiences. The company’s products include Video Cloud, the market-leading online video platform, Zencoder, a leading cloud-based media processing service and HTML5 video player technology provider and Once, a cloud-based ad insertion and video stitching service. Brightcove has more than 6,300 customers in over 70 countries that rely on Brightcove cloud content services to build and operate video experiences across PCs, smartphones, tablets and connected TVs. For more information, visit http://www.brightcove.com.
Press Contacts
Sheena Riviera
AxiCom for Brightcove
+44 20 8392 4064
sheena.riviera@axicom.com
Ketaki Banga
BPG Cohn & Wolfe for Brightcove
971 4 295 3456 Ext-310
ketaki@bpgcohnwolfe.com
This press release may include forward-looking statements regarding anticipated objectives, growth and/or expected product and service developments or enhancements. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of the following words (among others): "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "plan," "should" or "anticipates," or comparable words and their negatives. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees but are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations contained in these statements. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K. Brightcove assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in the event of changing circumstances or otherwise, and such statements are current only as of the date they are made.