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Vislink (Nasdaq: VISL), a global technology company specializing in the capturing, delivering and managing live video and associated data in the media & entertainment, law enforcement and defense markets, has closed on an $18.3 million (€15.5 million) acquisition of Netherlands-based Mobile Viewpoint – an innovator in mobile live streaming solutions.
Mobile Viewpoint is a privately held corporation based in the Netherlands, with operations in Dubai and Mexico City. It is a subsidiary of Triple IT Corporate B.V. Mobile Viewpoint, a pioneer in mobile live streaming solutions, also provides 5G and bonded cellular technologies, as well as AI-based technologies, to news organizations, TV production businesses, outside broadcast facilities, security, and public safety agencies.
With over 10 years of broadcast experience, Mobile Viewpoint’s clients include BBC, Sky Sports, Eurovision, RTL Group, Discovery, Eurosport, NEP, Al-Arabiya, FC Ajax and the Premier League as well as a range of law enforcement and emergency first responders.
The deal is comprised of a €14.8 million stock purchase agreement and the assumption and payment of €700,000 in intercompany debt. The Mobile Viewpoint acquisition would enable Vislink to fulfill its strategic aim of providing an industry-leading portfolio of live video acquisition, contribution and distribution solutions that meet the demanding needs of media, enterprise, defense and government organizations.
Cloud-Scale Compute
The Mobile Viewpoint acquisition will provide Vislink with solutions that combine with Vislink’s existing solution set to make its Connected Edge video transport concept of utilizing ubiquitous IP networks and cloud-scale compute across 5G, WiFi6, Mesh and COFDM-enabled networks a reality.
The Vislink and Mobile Viewpoint Connected Edge solutions will leverage IP networks to provide their customers low latency, high-capacity ultrafast live video transport that can utilize AI to automate workflows. Through this acquisition, Vislink would have all the hardware and software solutions needed to acquire, produce, contribute and deliver video over all private and public networks. These solutions include:
- Live video encoding, stream adaptation, decode and production solutions
- Remote production workflows
- Wireless cameras
- AI-driven automated production
- Ability to contribute video over: bonded cellular (3G and 4G); satellite; fiber; emerging networks, including 5G and Starlink
“Mobile Viewpoint provides us with innovative technologies and solutions that, combined with Vislink’s capabilities, will enable our customers to acquire and deliver video over any preferred public or private network,” said Mickey Miller, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vislink. “This presents a tremendous growth opportunity for us as 5G and other new networks, along with machine learning, are about to revolutionize how video is produced and transported. This acquisition means that we can now make the most of these transformative live video trends and bring high-quality live production to events that were historically economically challenging to produce like amateur and semi-pro athletics. Mobile Viewpoint also brings us very exciting AI-driven automated production and camera solutions, as well as a pioneering development team that has a history of being first to market with solutions that make a real difference, including support for multi-camera/REMI production, H.265, 5G and Starlink.”
Vislink and its clients would benefit from the ability to address the most transformative trends in today’s live video market, such as:
- Live Internet video traffic is growing fast: from 2016 to 2021, there was a 15-fold increase in live video internet traffic (71.9% CAGR)
- The acceleration towards cloud-based remote production
- The increasing demand for enhanced video content formats such as 4K, 8K, and 360-degree video
- The proliferation of new video transport capable networks such as 5G and Starlink
“It is exciting that Mobile Viewpoint will now be part of delivering Vislink Connected Edge solutions. Being part of a larger entity will enable us to accelerate our innovative product roadmap,” said Michel Bais, Managing Director of Mobile Viewpoint. “It also opens up the military, government and American markets for us. It’s been a fascinating and rewarding journey over the last ten years, but the time is right to join with Vislink to ensure we continue to excel and be first to market with transformative solutions. With almost zero overlap in solutions and markets, together, Vislink and Mobile Viewpoint will be much more than the sum of their parts.”
