Setting up shop in a tech-savvy market that continues to draw attention from the cable industry, multiscreen video search and recommendations specialist ThinkAnalytics has opened up digs in the Silicon Valley and has tapped a cable vet to run it.
Rich Soucie (pictured at left), most recently the director of global telecom operations at Arris, has been named vice president of business development, where he will head up “strategic partnerships and key accounts” and be based in the new California location. He reports to ThinkAnalytics CEO Eddie Young and will work closely with recently named chief technical advisor Christy Martin on strategic business development.
Young said the new location and hire will help ThinkAnaytics, which also has operations in Los Angeles, continue its U.S. expansion. He expects the new Silicon Valley facility to be home to four to six employees (it employees about 70 people worldwide) and focus primarily on partners and potential partners in the region, including middleware and metadata vendors and service operators. CableLabs and Comcast are among the cable-focused companies that have also set up camp in the Silicon Valley area.
Silicon Valley “is a key area for us and the industry,” Young said.
Young estimates that about 40% of ThinkAnalytics’ business comes from U.S. sources, but expects that to grow significantly as domestic operators continue to deploy more advanced navigation systems that tie in personalized recommendations engines. Its marquee U.S.-based partners include Cox Communications and Liberty Global, which runs cable systems in Europe.
In addition to building its video base, Young said the company is also seeking other, new paths to growth in areas such as targeted advertising and other types of content, including music and games. “We will continue to grow organically,” he said.
The company is also looking at new opportunities amid signs of consolidation in the video recommendations sector. Of recent note, TiVo inked a deal to acquire Digitalsmiths for $135 million last month.
Young said that deal “put a huge smile on my face…it’s good for Digitalsmiths and it also recognizes, generally, the importance of recommendation technology in media.”
ThinkAnalytics claims to have more than 50 customers worldwide and a base of more than 130 million licensed subscribers. Other customers and partners include Fox, BSkyB, Swisscom, Optus, Zon, SeaChange International, and Canal Digital.
