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Google Video Launches for Internal Business Use

This morning Google is launching Google Video for business, a customized video platform aimed at businesses for internal use. Think training vides, HR videos, etc. (anything that isn’t outside facing). The product is included in Google Apps Premier Edition for free, with 3 GB of storage per user account. – TechCrunch – Google Video Launches for Businesses

This launch will obviously have a limited use for now, but if you’re looking for a video service/vendor for internal use, Google might be a good vendor to check out, especially if you have users who are familiar with YouTube (it has similar functionality).  I’m guessing that Google will look to expand this in the future and possibly become a competitor in the online video industry – it’s just a logical jump from owning YouTube.

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Stickam courts teens not business

This week I want to navigate some of the legitimate business needs in the live broadcasting space.  But like anyone helping a friend new to a city, lesson number one is always a warning of which alleys not to enter.

There is a good reason video sharing giant YouTube, now corporate courtesan of the Google empire, has decided to shy away from live video broadcasting.  Unsurprising to most of us, live broadcasting on the internet has a very risque sub-community of young followers and interested parties.  Stickam has become the service of choice for that market, as is evident to anyone searching their site.

Stickam, started by Advanced Video Concepts in 2006, was an interesting technology company when it hit the press.  Well built, easy to use live video streaming tools made for inexpensive web cameras has the potential for great social impact and consumer activism when used responsibility.  Yet early on Stickam thought small as they focused on the MySpace social graph as a way to get AVC’s video technology out to a huge, interested demographic.  Through MySpace’s youth audience, Stickam was able to establish a large stake early by promising teens unrestricted access to content distribution.  As their success attracted more attention, it brought with it the reputation of an uncensored, lawless landscape.  Accusations allege that AVC’s parent company is in the adult entertainment business, loosely linking the youth related site to pornagraphy.

“Letting people do whatever they want is one way for these sites to differentiate themselves,” said Josh Bernoff, a Forrester Research analyst. “It is the race to the bottom.” – IHT

Stickam’s community aside, the AVC technology is solid.  There are a few notable users of the service like Leo Leporte that have promoted the possibilities as well as the potential.  As with any video sharing service, you can embed Stickam videos into your site without your viewers ever seeing the Stickam community site.  For a progressively thinking business this can be a great option as the Stickam tools for live broadcasting are extreamly easy to use.  Still, it is hard to separate the Stickam reputation and its communtiy from its technology.

When deciding between technology and community, it is clear where Stickam has its attention. Robin Bechtel, Warner’s vice president for new media, said in an article with the International Herald Tribune that people would migrate to even controversial video sites if they have features that MySpace and YouTube did not.

“People are going to go where the content is,” Bechtel said. “If Stickam has celebrities and is entertaining, they will go there.- IHT

Next we will take a look at a more viable business option in the free web streaming domain, ustream.

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Video Streaming for Suits

Its strange.   Every so often we are irresistibly drawn back to the subject on online Video in business. Sarah had an earlier post about Qik, and I’ve written about YouTube and CacheFly and LimeLight as video distribution networks.  Somehow, video keeps capturing our imagination with its seductively simple business potential.

I was asked last week to look into what was avalible in Live Video Streaming.  A company wanted to capture show-floor interviews and happenings at conventions and needed to know if it was technically feisable on a insubstantial budget.  As it turns out, the space has simply exploded with options since I last looked.  Good time to do a review series wrapup on Video Streaming.

Ill start next week with a look at Stickam, followed up with a competitor Ustream then hopfully wrap up the review with some tips on how to integrate streaming video into your online business community.  We may even try a bit of video ourselves, who knows.