TokBox (www.tokbox.com), a leading Web video communications provider, today launched OpenTok, a game-changing platform that weaves live, group video communication into the fabric of the Web. For the first time, businesses, entrepreneurs and developers can seamlessly integrate scalable, customizable multi-way video chat into their Web sites, bringing rich, human interaction to the experience and therefore deepening user engagement. The applications for the OpenTok platform are nearly infinite, spanning from social to commercial - all made more engaging via face-to-face communication. The launch of OpenTok today accompanies TokBox's announcement that it has secured $12 million in Series C funding from DAG Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures and Sequoia Capital.
"The OpenTok video chat platform will bring rich human interaction to content and applications throughout the Web," said Ian Small, CEO of TokBox. "By enabling Web sites to create a seamless experience for the end user - where they can engage live, face-to-face with each other, the brand, and the content - OpenTok will fundamentally change the way people communicate on the Web."
With the OpenTok platform, developers can build multi-way video chat into their Web experience in any way they choose, using an extensive set of JavaScript APIs. The platform is entirely flexible and customizable - from the size, layout, motion and interaction of individual video streams, to who can see, hear and talk to whom. Any one conversation can have up to 20 participants and can take place on different Web pages simultaneously, whether that is within one site or across multiple Web sites. That same conversation can also be watched by thousands of people. In addition, OpenTok incorporates two Tokbox proprietary technologies for enhancing the chat experience - echo suppression (to reduce echo within the multi-way chats) and auto-production (to switch video streams to highlight the person who is talking).
OpenTok's introduction comes at a time when the competition for customers is more intense than ever and the battle for user attention on the Web rages on. Consequently, Web sites are on the lookout for new ways to personally engage with existing customers and capture new audiences. The OpenTok platform addresses this core business need, offering Web sites a way to increase user engagement by injecting human, face-to-face interaction into the experience - whether they are digital media owners, gaming companies, social networking sites, or even e-commerce sites. This kind of engagement helps increase time-on-site, drive site traffic, boost sales, build customer loyalty, establish a dialogue with consumers, and much more.
Early-stage partners include IM aggregator, eBuddy; non-profit news and documentary network, The Real News Network; speed dating site, WinkVid; education service provider, TutorTrove; live poker portal PokerView; and Assembla, which offers workspaces for distributed software teams. Early partners have innovated on the OpenTok platform and taken full advantage of the flexibility and customizability of the APIs.
"OpenTok is without question a revolutionary new Web video communications platform," said Ziggy Jeffery, Co-Director of New Technology and Social Media, The Real News Network, an online news and discussion site (www.therealnews.com). "By building live, multi-way video chat into our new debate and discussion page, we can now have our users take part in lively, face-to-face exchanges with each other as well as a live studio panel and audience - just as if they were sitting in a room together. These conversations are the key to having our audience engage with one another and the Web site at an unprecedented new level."
"We are excited to work with the new TokBox API," said Jan Joost "JJ" Rueb, CEO and co-founder of eBuddy. "The flexibility allows us to deeply integrate video conversations into our instant messenger and provides an excellent user experience. We can now control the video streams extensively and adjust to the needs of our users which is a great complement to our service."
About TokBox
TokBox is a leading multi-way Web video communications provider. OpenTok, the company's flagship product, is a game-changing new platform that enables Web sites to weave live, group video conversations into their online experience. Targeted at businesses, entrepreneurs, developers and anyone with a Web presence, the platform harnesses the power of video to drive user engagement with the Web site's content as never before. OpenTok-powered video conversations can be woven into nearly any Web activity or wrapped around a site's content - from shopping with friends to talking about a breaking news story - live, face-to-face on the Web. The scalable, customizable platform incorporates quality-enhancing proprietary TokBox technology and accommodates up to 20 chat participants live with thousands watching. TokBox is privately held and headquartered in San Francisco, CA.
For more information, visit www.tokbox.com or follow TokBox on Twitter: @TokBox. Follow the conversation about OpenTok with Twitter hashtag #OpenTok. Also check out a variety of OpenTok applications at yapmap.opentok.com and trendtok.opentok.com.