Telefónica Digital acquires live video specialist TokBox
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Telefónica Digital acquires live video specialist TokBox

Telefónica’s digital arm has acquired US-based video platform TokBox for an undisclosed sum.

TokBox, which is headquartered in San Francisco, specialises in live video-based communications services through the addition of video calling into websites and mobile applications. 

Telefónica Digital said that the acquisition was part of its strategy to drive innovation in its core communications business, with capabilities that extend beyond voice and messaging.

The carrier plans to use TokBox’s OpenTok Video Platform to offers its business and consumer customers cross platform web-based video communications.

The solution will be offered both directly through custom solutions and through the provision of APIs and applications, allowing businesses and developers to produce their own services.

The two companies will also incorporate video APIs into its BlueVIa API platform, enhancing the service to include unified video, voice and text API services.

“Telefónica is all about empowering our customers through new and innovative digital services. By adding TokBox’s unique capabilities to our communications portfolio, we will allow our customers to leverage the full potential of web-based video communications in their own business models,” said Matthew Key, CEO of Telefónica Digital.

TokBox launched its platform in November 2010 and has developed innovations include video chat to any iOS application and WEBRTC- based video solutions, which allow for video calling to be conducted via a web browser without plug-ins

Ian Small will maintain his position as CEO of TokBox and Carlos Domingo, director of product development & innovation at Telefónica Digital will join the TokBox board of directors and become chairman of the company.

“Despite all our progress to date we are still in the early stages of the industry and this is a very exciting opportunity to accelerate the development of the OpenTok platform and rapidly expand its global reach and presence,” said Ian Small, CEO of TokBox.

“Integrating our video capabilities with Telefónica existing voice and text offering creates an advanced real-time communications suite for Telefónica’s hundreds of millions of customers around the world.”

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