High-speed Internet access provider BroadbandNOW partnered with Vesta Broadband Services, an Internet infrastructure company, to offer its customers an online alternative to renting movies at stores.
BroadbandNOW, Irving, TX, will add Vesta's NetMovies, an IP-based video-on-demand service, to its services and applications.
“We wanted a service that would enhance our current offerings,” said Paul Buss, vice president of marketing at BroadbandNOW. “[Vesta's] movie player, along with their billing and rights management services, [compiles] a service that is entirely complementary to BroadbandNOW's network and offerings.”
BroadbandNOW, www.bbnow.com, which will host the digital rights management and billing software from Vesta, has not announced plans to market the new service, Buss said.
Vesta, McKinney, TX, meanwhile, partners with a network of 10,000 nationwide customers to which it can deliver its service.
“There is definitely some synergy here,” said Venky Adivi, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Vesta, which until this month was known as VideosDotCom. “We get an extremely reliable partner that has a network with the bandwidth and technology to offer broadband service to subscribers.”
Adivi said the agreement also gives Vesta leverage to reach out to prospective customers and partners, such as Internet service providers, multiple dwelling units, hotels and residential subscribers, all of which are featured in BroadbandNOW's network.
Vesta — www.vestabroadband.com — is planning a grass-roots marketing campaign early next year, he said.
The service allows subscribers to rent or buy video and audio through their Internet access service. Vesta touts the NetMovies service as a stay-at-home alternative to renting movies from a video store and one that does not demand additional bandwidth.
The application is currently designed for personal computer delivery, but it is expected eventually to become available through a set-top box, Buss said.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
