Vusion, A New CDN/Video Platform Launches Today

This morning, Vusion, a company formerly known as Jittr Networks officially launched their offering to the market. While most people would compare Vusion to Move Networks, instead of using traditional CDNs like Move does, Vusion is also acting as the CDN and is doing all of the video delivery themselves. While the company is not yet willing to say how much money they raised, they have been in stealth mode for a few years and have taken at least a few million. With the launch, Vusion also announced that Island Def Jam Music Group is using the service, but it's hard to know if this is a regular paying customer, or more of customer who is getting some free services in exchange for Vusion being able to have content to showcase at launch.

Like Move, Vusion requires users to download software and is primarily going after high-bitrate and HD quality content with what they call their "patented WARP technology". Specifically going after content owners that require high-bitrate and HD delivery use to be something that newer CDNs in the market were touting as being a real differentiator. But today, the space is already quite crowded with numerous companies focusing specifically on high bitrate delivery. Move Networks, BitGravity, Digital Fountain, Grid Networks and now Vusion all seem to be competing for the same type of customer.

I had a long conversation with the Vusion folks a few weeks back and they came off as being smart and being very focused on the market they want to go after. But that alone won't guarantee success in today's  climate and with the continued influx of new providers on the market, it is getting really difficult to distinguish one provider from another. Many are really trying to focus on how the quality of their video is different, but to be honest, I can't even tell the difference most times. At some point, quality no longer becomes the deciding factor and it will come down to all of the other important elements that go into a quality service offering.

Comments

[dh]

wow another hyped up, bumbling, next big thing- packed in with all the other next big things, SRO, in a little supply closet- with no business or revenue- just off to the left of the interweb.

it's amazing how gullible, desperate and myopic the poor little VC community has become. best foot forward-> fell asleep at the wheel.

[damien wetzel]

i tried to try it
no luck i'm running linux,
i think this kind of OS dependent stuff are doomed to fail
windows will soon be the OS of the past ;)

[Freddy]

Read their whitepaper.
Doomed.
Some interesting approaches, but, they are leveraging the wrong things.

[Dietrich R.]

I just do demo from Munich and quality much better than any US video. Where are Vusion datacenters?

Wish they run on Linux. Had to test on Windows, but video looked very good. Surfing video sample had very good true HD in middle.

=> Dietrich

[asdf]

VC are momentum investors. Don't you know that? They have all these top tier degrees, all the awards, big, big paycheck, a bunch of arrogance on their head, neck and shoulder. then they go and copy what everyone else is doing.

but there are a few really, really innovative VCs out there who actually invest and take risks. VC who actually perform the job called "Venture" investing. Everyone else is in small market private equity. Everyone wants to protect their job and image.

If you are unproven, they say the market is too crowded. Yet, they invest in another CDN. Aren't there like 50 CDNs out there? Wonder what if the VCs asked "what is your differentiator" for the 5th through 50th provider.

I'm convinced it is the ol' boy's network. hey, yo papa got me into HBS with my 3.2 GPA from a State Uni and a 650 GMAT, so i'm going to return the favor and fund you 10M with a 100M valuation.