• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, May 7, 2008

Video search engine blinkx has launched a video content management service, which attempts to solve the myriad problems surrounding online video processing and delivery.

Media companies already using the service include Conde Nast's business publication Portfolio and personal finance magazine Kiplinger's.

"There is a clear need for a scalable solution that addresses the challenges inherent in managing videos dispersed across different platforms and in various formats," said blinkx founder and CEO Suranga Chandratillake.

In essence, the new Advanced Media Platform automates the process of determining how content is discovered, indexed, distributed, presented and consumed on a publisher's site.

Blinkx can identify and extract video assets from any storage system or packaging, online or offline. Its conceptual recognition engine technology then makes it possible for media owners to search, discover and organize these assets based on their meaning, and for viewers to access these videos across different platforms, languages and formats.

In addition, the platform's SEO component attempts to capture new audiences, while a search and discovery functionality engages and retains them.

Leveraging blinkx's contextual online video advertising platform, AdHoc, the company is able to place relevant ads against video content, resulting in higher monetization for content owners and a non-disruptive experience for audiences.

Today, there are huge numbers of viewers searching the Web for content. A recent study from the Solutions Research Group revealed a significant increase in people viewing prime-time programming online over the past year. Nearly 80 million Americans--43% of the online population--have watched one of their favorite shows on the Internet, according to SRG--up significantly from 25% a year ago.

Since its launch in 2004, blinkx has been developing an efficient, scalable way to search the millions of hours of video now flooding the Web. To date, blinkx's video search engine has found, qualified and indexed more than 18 million hours of online TV and video.

It has done this by supplementing existing video search methods by transcribing the words spoken in videos, and searching them, using speech recognition technology.

Blinkx presently licenses its technology to over 80 partners, including Microsoft, MTV, British news broadcaster ITN, and Reuters.