Verizon moves Go90 onto Verizon Digital Media Services to fix early technical issues

Verizon has completely moved its Go90 video service onto its Verizon Digital Media Services (VDMS) platform, the company confirmed to FierceCable.

Analysts from Wall Street firm Jefferies said they met with Verizon CFO Fran Shammo recently, and that Shammo said the company moved Go90 onto VDMS in order to address "early technical issues." Verizon confirmed the move to FierceCable.

"The move to the VDMS platform helps Go90 become more open and expand reach," a Verizon spokesperson told FierceCable. "This will give us the flexibility to still be mobile first, but not mobile only. We will be activating across every screen with mobile, web and screen casting."

Screen casting is one of the features Go90 added through an app update this week.

Verizon said Go90 was not fully integrated with VDMS previously, only parts of it were. But now it is fully integrated.

Of course, the full shift to VDMS calls into question how big of a role OnCue, the interactive TV platform Verizon acquired in 2014 from Intel, now plays in Go90. Verizon elected to build the initial Go90 platform using OnCue as the foundation.

Verizon did confirm to FierceCable it is still using OnCue technology, but was unable to discuss further details. Besides serving as the basis for Go90, Variety recently reported that Verizon is also using OnCue to develop an IP-based TV service codenamed "Mallard."

Verizon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on any other projects using OnCue technology.

Go90's shift to VDMS, as well as the Go90 app update this week, are in line with Verizon CFO Fran Shammo's recent comments about Go90 undergoing some changes.

Shammo, speaking earlier this month at a Merrill Lynch investor conference, said Verizon had to make some changes with the Go90 platform but that the updates had been finished, though at the time he did not offer details on what changes had been made. Shammo said that Verizon would likely share more insights into the performance of Go90 by the third quarter of this year.

Opening up Go90 content on different screens beyond mobile appears to be a bit of a departure from the mobile-first strategy Verizon originally laid out for Go90 when it launched the app late last year. But it could pay off for the still nascent service as analysts still foresee an uphill battle for Go90 as it goes up against mobile video giants like YouTube.

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