Accordent Technologies

Accordent Technologies

Company type	Private
Industry	Software, Streaming media
Founded	1 January 1999 (1999-01-01)
Fate	Acquired by Polycom in 2011
Headquarters	El Segundo, California , United States
Area served	United States, United Kingdom
Products	Media Management System, Capture Station, PresenterPro/Plus, Engage
Number of employees	50+ (2007)
Parent	Polycom (from 2011)

Accordent Technologies was a U.S.-based software firm specializing in the development and management of streaming media solutions. In 2011, it became part of Polycom through acquisition.

Prior to being acquired, Accordent’s main office was located in El Segundo, California, with additional sales and development centers situated in Seattle, London, New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, and Austin. The company was a pioneer in creating software that integrated streaming video content with PowerPoint presentations.

History

Established in 1999 in El Segundo, California, Accordent concentrated on delivering synchronized streaming video and PowerPoint slide solutions via its range of products including Media Management System, Capture Station, PresenterPro/Plus, and Engage.

By 2007, the company employed more than 50 staff members, achieved revenues surpassing $11 million, and supported a client base exceeding 1,500 organizations. This clientele included 150 companies from the Fortune 500, upwards of 450 educational institutions, and around 125 public sector entities.

In 2011, Polycom purchased Accordent for $50 million.

Products

Accordent’s offerings comprised multimedia management software that allowed clients to organize, search, and protect online multimedia presentations created using Accordent’s tools. The system also supported archived content from external sources such as Tandberg videoconferences, webcasts, and independent video files.

Competitive environment

Throughout its operational period, Accordent competed within a growing online content management marketplace. Competitors included Granicus, which specialized in government webcast services featuring interactive capabilities. Sonic Foundry’s MediaSite also provided comparable webcasting solutions combining video with interactive elements. Prominent companies like Adobe, Echo360, Presentations2Go, and Cisco Webex vied for market leadership amid increasing demand for webcasting technologies.

Within the wider content management system sector, dominant players such as Oracle, Microsoft’s SharePoint platform, and The Platform held substantial market positions. Additionally, open-source platforms including Joomla, Moodle, and Angel gained popularity in educational settings due to their cost efficiency. As higher education institutions expanded virtual campus initiatives through Learning Management Systems (LMS), platforms like Sakai, Blackboard, and Desire2Learn emerged as direct competitors to Accordent’s Media Management System for handling classroom materials and student assignments.