Accenture has beefed up its over-the-top video capabilities package by acquiring the "software and skills" of Nokia Siemens' IPTV business, the two companies announced today. Terms of the transaction--beyond the acknowledgement that the new assets will be integrated into the Accenture Video Solutions portfolio--were not disclosed.
"The combination of Nokia Siemens Networks' IPTV assets with Accenture's over-the-top TV software and capabilities, will deliver an exciting new combination of services to the global video industry," Marco Vernocchi, managing director of Accenture's Media & Entertainment industry group said in a news release. "The scalable and flexible end solution we are creating will help video service providers dramatically change the way they approach content distribution while balancing costs."
More specifically, the company said the additional assets will help Accenture provide end-to-end technology integration services "to any vendor for any video platform" and help Accenture's clients provide their end users with "a dynamic and interactive video experience with virtually any video content, in any format, across every network, on any device."
Service providers use the Accenture Video Solution to deliver a "seamless consumer experience for accessing linear video content … to virtually any IP-enabled device," the news release said. The Nokia Siemens acquisition "adds key IPTV skills and experience" to its portfolio, the company said.
"Consumers want to control the content they view, but they also want to manage where and when they view that content," Vernocchi said further in the news release. "They also want to be able to choose the device on which the content is delivered. Consumers also want the flexibility to watch a video while posting comments on social media sites or chatting with their friends about the content they are viewing."
The increasing demand for TV Everywhere-type functionality across multiple devices in a growing number of environments encouraged Accenture to bulk up its product portfolio with additional software and skills, the company said.
"Access to content in a personalized way is here to stay and we can expect to see even more features that allow users to make viewing a personal, mobile, dynamic video experience," Vernocchi concluded.
This is not the first deal between Accenture and Nokia Siemens, which has been trying hard to start generating a profit. Last year Nokia transferred its Symbian software activities and about 2,300 employees to Accenture as part of its ongoing global workforce and site operations consolidations alignment.
For more:
- Accenture issued this news release
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