IBM Cloud Video
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Virtual events platform, Video streaming |
| Predecessor | Ustream |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | John Ham, Brad Hunstable, Gyula Fehér |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Number of employees | 180+ |
| Parent | IBM |
IBM Watson Media—previously known as Ustream and later IBM Cloud Video—functions as a virtual events platform and operates as a division within IBM. Prior to being acquired by IBM, Ustream maintained a workforce exceeding 180 employees spread across its offices located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Budapest. The company secured $11.1 million in Series A financing from investors including Doll Capital Management (DCM), Labrador Ventures, and Band of Angels.
Since the acquisition in 2016, the service has been integrated under IBM’s umbrella. On April 1, 2018, Ustream underwent a rebranding to IBM Cloud Video to signify its new ownership, followed shortly by another renaming to IBM Watson Media to emphasize the incorporation of IBM Watson’s artificial intelligence technologies.
History
Ustream was established by John Ham, Brad Hunstable, and Gyula Fehér with the goal of providing deployed US Army personnel during the Iraq War an effective way to stay connected with their families. The platform was designed to facilitate group communication despite the soldiers’ limited availability.
Acquisition
Initial funding came from investors such as DCM Ventures and Softbank, which contributed $20 million in 2010 with provisions for additional investment. On January 21, 2016, IBM completed its acquisition of Ustream for a sum reaching up to $150 million. This strategic purchase merged Ustream with IBM’s other video-related assets—including Aspera, Clearleap, and Cleversafe—to form the IBM Cloud Video (now IBM Watson Media) division focused on delivering enterprise-grade video solutions powered by IBM’s technology stack.
Notable users
The IBM Cloud Video platform has been adopted by high-profile political figures like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards. It also serves content creators such as video game streamers and musicians including Kanye West, Linkin Park, Tori Amos, Deadmau5, and the Plain White T's. Prominent lifecasters like iJustine and E-TARD The LifeCaster have utilized the service as well. Corporate and institutional clients include organizations such as Salesforce, the University of Pennsylvania Wharton, Herman Miller, Mazda, the US Open, Fox Sports (United States) World Cup coverage, USA Network for Mr. Robot, Sony promoting the PlayStation 4, University of Georgia, Grohe, a California superior court, and Roland Corporation.
Plans
IBM Cloud Video provides three subscription levels: Silver, Gold, and Platinum, catering to different user requirements from basic to advanced. A free trial lasting 30 days grants full access to all features available across these tiers, including phone and chat support, a live monitoring dashboard, and one administrator or user seat. Standard features included at every level encompass HD transcoding, video embedding controls, API integration, channel customization, password protection, registration forms, interactive chat functions, Q&A sessions, polling capabilities, clickable overlays, automatic archiving with AI-generated closed captions, simulated live broadcasts, and playlist management.
| Silver | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|
| 100 viewer hours | 2000 viewer hours | 5000 viewer hours |
| 5 channels | 10 channels | 20 channels |
| 1 TB storage | 2 TB storage | 3 TB storage |
Automatic Content Blocking
IBM Watson Media utilizes a copyright protection service provided by Vobile, which operates through a unique digital video fingerprinting technology designed to identify copyrighted materials automatically. However, this system has occasionally flagged content incorrectly, blocking material that either falls under fair use or is properly licensed by the content owner. A notable incident occurred during the official live broadcast of the 2012 Hugo Award ceremony, where authorized clips triggered the detection system, causing an unexpected interruption and widespread public criticism. Following this event, Ustream issued an apology and temporarily suspended the automatic blocking feature to adjust the system, striving to achieve a fairer balance among broadcasters, viewers, and copyright holders.