Synacor said it has struck an expanded multiyear deal with Windstream that includes the development of a next-gen customer portal and a search and discovery metadata platform for the telco’s multiscreen TV service.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the coming Web portal, for Windstream’s residential high-speed Internet customers, will feature a new UI and a more intuitive search and discovery platform, they said.
“Windstream is in the business of connecting communities, and today’s digital experiences facilitate building both personal and business relationships,” Sarah Day, interim-president of consumer and small business for Windstream, which recently raised its video game by launching an IPTV service in Lincoln, Neb., that tangles with incumbent cable operator Time Warner Cable. “We’re excited to offer our customers a richer online experience powered by Synacor’s innovative solutions, accessing their latest portal technology, and enabling our customers to search, discover and view their favorite content from any device of their choosing.”
“Windstream’s expansion of our longstanding relationship is an endorsement of our newest products and the compelling experiences we help deliver to Windstream subscribers,” added Synacor CEO Himesh Bhise.
Synacor also announced that Horry Telephone Cooperative (HTC) has picked the vendor email provider, and the launch of a native mobile iOS app for short-form video, news and links to operator customer-care features. The new app is a companion to the company’s white-label portal platform.
The company also announced the addition of two execs -- Mike Primiani, as head of portal products, and Hardys Eggum, who will head up Synacor’s IT and technical operations. Primiani most recently served as SVP of consumer products at Mindspark Interactive Network, a subsidiary of IAC, leading up tis advertising, gaming and shopping businesses. Hardys was VP of media technology architecture at HBO, and is also late of Motorola.
Synacor made the string of announcements in concert with its latest financial results. The company, which specializes in customized Web portals and TV Everywhere authentication systems, posted Q2 revenues of $24.7 million, up 2% from the year-ago quarter. Search and ad revenue rose 3% to $19 million, ad revenue jumped 57% to $11.7 million, while subscriber based revenue was flat, at $5.7 million.
Synacor also posted a net loss of $1.1 million (4 cents per share0, narrowed from a loss of $1.9 million (7 cents per share) in the year-ago quarter. It ended the quarter with $27.1 million in cash and cash equivalents, up from $26.8 million.
It’s expecting Q3 revenues of $23.0 million to $24.0 million, and full-year 2015 revenues of $97.0 million to $102.0 million.
