6 Nov 2008 07:00
blinkx Partners With ExitReality to Introduce Video to the 3D Web
40 Billion Virtual Worlds and 26 Million Hours of Video Merge in One Online Partnership
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. - November 6, 2008 - blinkx, the world's largest and most advanced video search engine, today announced a partnership with ExitReality, the company that converts the entire Web into three dimensions. Users of ExitReality will now have access to millions of hours of Internet video to view and share in 3D spaces, courtesy of blinkx.
Gartner analysts have predicted that 80% of all active Internet users will have a virtual-world presence by 2011, a potential not lost on either company. It has also been noted that visitors stay longer in 3D virtual worlds than on 2D Web sites, giving media companies and advertisers new opportunities to engage potential customers. blinkx will deliver TV and video to these 3D environments, providing an immersive and social media viewing experience for users across the entire 3D Internet.
blinkx users who download the ExitReality browser plug-in can now experience a special 3D-enhanced version of blinkx.com. Visitors will also be able to deck out their own virtual environments on popular social networks, creating and sharing their own 3D virtual worlds.
Rather than creating a virtual world in a silo on a Web site, ExitReality has developed a novel technology that transforms the entire two-dimensional Web into a 3D universe. Internet users who download ExitReality's browser plug-in can view their favorite Web pages as 3D spaces, with rooms to explore, games to play and items to interact with, as well as meet and chat with their friends and people with the same interests.
Through the partnership with ExitReality, blinkx has developed a space for viewing and interacting with online video. Users will be able to:
"blinkx is delighted to be pioneering with ExitReality," said Suranga Chandratillake, founder and CEO of blinkx. "We're very excited to be taking advantage of ExitReality's technology and eager to develop innovations that will augment the Web as a 3D space."
"ExitReality adds a new dimension to the online experience," said Danny Stefanic, founder and CEO of ExitReality. "3D is a large part of the future Internet. It will enable immersive shared experiences on countless sites. In addition, blinkx's massive library of free, on-demand content is now especially relevant as users look for creative and inexpensive opportunities to connect with friends and family. As virtual world technologies progress, consumers and businesses will adopt - and adapt - more and more ways to integrate existing products, services, and social networks into the 3D sphere."
"Social Networks were revolutionary in that they extended a concept of common community to the Internet. The true innovation of ExitReality is that it takes that concept to the next level. ExitReality is the enabling 3D technology that makes real-time social interaction and exchange possible on every existing Web site across the Web," said Stefanic.
As the pioneer in video search technology, blinkx has built a reputation as the smartest way to search new forms of online content such as video. With more than 350 partners and 26 million hours of indexed video and audio content, including favorite TV moments, news clips, short documentaries, music videos, video blogs and more, blinkx uses advanced speech-recognition technology to deliver results that are more accurate and reliable than standard metadata-based keyword searches.
You can access blinkx in 3D by clicking here or visiting www.blinkx.com.
About blinkx
blinkx plc (LSE AIM: BLNX) is the world's largest and most advanced video search engine. Today, blinkx has indexed more than 26 million hours of audio, video, viral and TV content, and made it fully searchable and available on demand. blinkx's founders set out to solve a significant challenge - as TV and user-generated content on the Web explode, keyword-based search technologies only scratch the surface. blinkx's patented search technologies listen to - and even see - the Web, helping users enjoy a breadth and accuracy of search results not available elsewhere. In addition, blinkx powers the video search for many of the world's most frequented sites. blinkx is based in San Francisco and London. More information is available at www.blinkx.com.
About ExitReality - the Entire Web in 3D
ExitReality is a free Internet plug-in that allows anyone to view every web page in 3D.
Over 40 billion websites are now instantly available as one massive virtual ecosystem, allowing web citizens to convert their 2D web pages into a 3D customisable space; meet and chat with people at any website; or search and explore thousands of online 3D communities. ExitReality also boasts the world's largest index of Web3D content.
Not just for consumers, ExitReality's technology is based on 3D open standards, allowing anyone to participate in the 3D web including 3D content developers, website publishers and advertisers.
Globally launched into Public Beta on September 18, 2008, the entire web is now in 3D.
More information at www.exitreality.com.
Press Contacts for blinkx:
Tim Turpin
Sparkpr
+1 (415) 321 1894
tturpin@sparkpr.com
Adrie Wessels
Bite Communications
+44 (0)20 8834 3474
Adrie.Wessels@bitepr.com
NOMAD for blinkx
Charles Lytle
Citi
Press Contacts for ExitReality:
Lee Jabara
+61 3 90164099
+61 418 319 068lee@smartpr.com.au
Gillian Yeap
+61 3 9015 7439
+61 447 319 066gillian@smartpr.com.au