Uniondale, NY, December 07, 2011 – Bianor today announced it has joined the Brightcove Alliance global partner program to introduce an advanced new delivery channel to joint Bianor and Brightcove customers. Bianor’s iMediaShare technology will be made available to customers serving video to millions of Internet-connected TV’s, helping to meet the increasingly complex online video needs of these organizations.

“Bianor’s core competences make it an ideal partner for Brightcove, whose solutions enable customers to do more with video than ever before.” shares Maria Williamson of Bianor. “The Brightcove Video Cloud online video platform allows mobile audiences to be reached with SDKs, mobile-ready encoding, intelligent device detection and player templates, and delivers video to devices like the iPhone and iPad with comprehensive HTML5 support.”

The solutions Bianor develops through this partnership will aim to support customers’ unique video project needs and enable quick deployment of iMediaShare utilizing Brightcove Video Cloud online video platform. Deep integration with Brightcove’s industry-leading products will enable Bianor’s iMediaShare to become an integral player in the growth of online multimedia and video.

“We are pleased to add Bianor to our global partner ecosystem,” said Chris Johnston, director of technology partnerships at Brightcove. “Innovative partners like Bianor enable us to extend the capabilities of our online video platform and provide everything customers need to operate successful online video initiatives.”

About iMediaShare
iMediaShare offers entertainment the easy way, allowing viewers to choose what to watch and when to watch it. With thousands of On Demand options ranging from breaking news to popular shows, available instantly to viewers on any connected TV, iMediaShare is a unique addition to the modern connected home. The ability to stream media from multiple online sources and aggregate content from home media servers allows iMediaShare to transform the mobile handset into a new generation portable set-top box.

About Brightcove
Brightcove Inc., a leading global provider of cloud content services, provides a family of products used to publish and distribute the world’s professional digital media. The company’s products include Brightcove Video Cloud, the market-leading online video platform, and Brightcove App Cloud, the pioneering content app platform. Together, more than 3,600 customers in 50 countries rely on Brightcove’s cloud content services to build and operate exceptional media experiences across PCs, smartphones, tablets and connected TVs.

What is a connected home

The term ‘connected home’ has been around for quite some time but what does it actually mean? It draws roots from the more familiar home automation idea. The connected home knows where you are, what you are doing and is able to predict what you need. Imagine interactive lighting control with lights following you and switching off behind you.

Imagine intelligent thermostat control with an energy-saving aspect, maintaining just the temperature you want in every room, and cooling the entire house when empty. Imagine your bathroom sending vital information about your health to your GP. Imagine your fridge adding milk to your electronic shopping list. Imagine your favourite music and entertainment programs playing at preferred times in preferred rooms.

How technology enables change

The recent emergence of a technical foundation enabling the delivering of consumer-friendly connected-home services is fast driving developments in this area. The availability of solutions which for example allow network service providers to offer connected-home services can quickly bring these offerings into the mainstream, predict analysts at Parks Associates, a market research and consulting firm focused on residential product and service segments. These developments change the rules in a game that was previously reserved for consumers able to afford purchasing expensive equipment and contracting narrow specialists to set up security and other niche solutions.

The connected-home ecosystem

According to a study by Frost and Sullivan the connected home ecosystem can be said to comprise of four major components – telemetry, networks, communication services and home entertainment. Let’s look at each one in a bit more detail.

Networks

In July this year both Comcast and Verizon announced the launching of video-rich cloud-based services that are designed to be easy to use, flexible to configure and readily extendable. These services are enabled by the fact that more and more devices are manufactured to comply with connected-home wireless telemetry standards, finally allowing network service providers to take advantage of this much-discussed opportunity. Networks are entering the arena and offering services such as home security at a better deal than similarly priced security-only solutions. According to the Parks Associates research the trend shows big networks deploying 50 percent of all connected-home services by 2012.

Telemetry

Telemetry is the technology allowing remote measurement and conveyance of information. Apart from wireless data transfer mechanisms such as radio or infrared, it also includes data transferred over media such as a telephone or computer network, optical or other wired communications. Using broadband connectivity instead of phone lines to run connected-home security enables a multitude of new possibilities such as video camera surveillance and entry points sensor-based monitoring.

Communication services – The obvious connection with regards to communication services is wireless. Consumers are getting more and more likely to access their world through mobile devices. Such mobile options and flexibility will allow access to the connected home from any place the person happens to be. This will allow easy interaction with the home environment and access to connected home services independent of location.

Home entertainment – Entertainment in the connected home of the future takes the viewer experience to a whole new level, offering instant access to music, videos and photos regardless of where they are stored. Favorite content follows the connected consumer throughout the home, providing uninterrupted experience and multitudes of personalization options. Stay with us for the second part of this article where we elaborate from the point of view of Bianor’s iMediaShare, a fantastic new addition to the modern home, transforming any smartphone into a media box to bring online content and subscriptions to a nearby TV screen, with no hardware or cables required.

An interesting future

Great players such as IBM are preparing to join in, expecting revenues that flow from dispensing connected homes data, shares Scott Burnett, global consumer electronics leader for IBM. According to him many verticals in the industry will welcome access to data from connected devices. The competition is expected to be fierce. Every type of service provider of today will be attempting to enter our homes bringing the promise of improving our wellbeing, keeping us safe and ensuring we’re entertained. The applications of these new technologies is said to extend greatly beyond the services currently offered. Existing services will be expanded with advanced capabilities. By addressing energy management with an interactive home control platform, the service providers will be able to offer ‘green home’ value-added features.

The result for us consumers is going to be a lot more choices. Please share your opinion on the future of connected home by leaving a comment below.

Have you ever wondered about the secret life of mobile apps? Which ones are downloaded most? How many of each platform ever enter the top download charts? Is there a clear winner?

In this brief article we share some statistics and opinions in an attempt to highlight a few important points. A recent study by mobile app research company Distimo provides yet another look at the relationship between Android and Apple, and the potential each one offers to businesses.

Most Android apps are never downloaded

The study confirms once again that it is relatively hard to make money from Android applications if you rely on a one-off installation fee. Very few apps from the Android Market are ever downloaded, with 20% of free and 80% of paid apps never getting the chance to grace anyone’s device.

As many as 52% of all free Android apps are downloaded less than 1,000 times.

The report shows only 5,6% of all free Android applications being downloaded between 50,000 and 500,000 times, with a meager 1% of those reaching over 500,000 downloads.

The situation does not look much brighter for paid Android apps. Only 0,1% of paid applications in the store have seen more than 50,000 downloads, and only about 5% were downloaded between 1,000 and 50,000 times.

Apple apps make more money

Let’s have a look at some Apple numbers. The Distimo study reveals that 6 paid iPhone apps enjoyed 500,000 downloads just in the US store during the months of March and April only. Compare this with only 2 paid Android apps ever reaching 500,000 total downloads, worldwide, for the entire existence of the Android Market.

If we take a closer look at game apps for example, we find that 10 iOS games were downloaded over 250,000 times from the US store in the same two-month study period, while only 5 Android games ever saw 250,000 downloads, in total, worldwide, for the lifetime of the Android Market.

Factors improving the odds for Android

The good news is that Google constantly strives to level the playing ground by adding ways to increase the profitability of its platform, apps and Android app developers. A serious achievement in this direction has been the in-app and direct carrier billing added recently.

Another positive factor is the vast range of Android device models and prices which represent an impressively sized market. It is good to keep in mind the fact that these buyers are less likely to pay for an app and more likely to opt for a freebie.

Why Apple is a good choice

iPhone users tend to be older and yield higher earning power than the standard Android user, a market observation confirmed once again in a research we performed recently. Statistics show that iPhone users keep more downloaded apps on their device, and applications downloaded on the iOS platform are used more regularly in comparison to Android, where many apps are never launched a second time.

Some words of advise

So how should you read all these figures? Your target market and the type of your application are interdependend and you must be certain the two are a match. Whether you are releasing an app for productivity, entertainment, managing money, or communication ensure the buyers you target are using the device and platform you plan to develop for.

If you start with Android app development consider another way of monetizing on your app, for example by including advertisments. Think of releasing two versions, a free version with ads and a paid one without. When developing an iPhone application consider the fact that if your app becomes popular some ROI is possible with the one-off download fee. Both productivity and entertainment apps enjoy interest from iOS users, and the market is deemed affluent. So do your research, contact a reputable mobile application development company and get going.

Share with us your experience with mobile applications. How many have you downloaded, which of those are still on your phone and which few do you use regularly?

Sofia, July 11, 2011 — Following its strategy to deliver top quality software services, Bianor received NATO AQAP 2110 and AQAP 2210 certifications after proving compliance with the requirements of the Alliance.

NATO AQAP 2110 outlines NATO’s prerequisites of quality as applicable to quality assurance requirements for design, development and production. The certification concerns software as a product and represents part of the selection process the Alliance applies when evaluating vendors from the technology sector.

NATO AQAP 2210 Supplementary Software Quality Assurance Requirements concerns quality management of the entire software development process. Software development processes must be planned, controlled and improved in order to reduce, eliminate and, most importantly, prevent software quality deficiencies.

“This certification represents our dedication to quality”, states Kostadin Jordanov, Bianor CEO. “It is a result of years of consistent efforts to apply industry’s best practices and deliver top grade products to our customers.”

Bianor delivers critical software systems to large international companies and telecom operators. The reliability and predictability of the company processes is vital to ensuring flawless 24×7 operation of the delivered solutions.

Bianor is also ISO 9001:2000 certified by Lloyd’s Register since 2005.

Uniondale, NY, June 15, 2011 – Last week was a very busy one for Bianor and for iMediaShare’s team in particular. Bianor’s participation in the 2011 Chicago Cable Show was only part of the reason. On June 15 amidst heavy competition iMediaShare snatched another award! This time the New Jersey Technology Council (NJTC) Mobile Application Forum recognized Bianor’s mobile application for innovation in the Mobile Media category. The event was sponsored by Research In Motion and aimed to highlight the most innovative and successful mobile applications developed in the U.S. mid-Atlantic region and Canada.

“We are extremely proud that iMediaShare is once again recognized as a harbinger of innovation in mobile media” said Metodi Filipov. “To be selected amongst all other companies from the Tri-State Region, known as the cradle of the media industry, and to be awarded such an achievement in media technologies is a great success”, continues Metodi.

NJTC Mobile Application Forum award is the second notable recognition for iMediaShare. In 2010 it received the LISA Award from the Long Island Technology Network (LISTnet).

About iMediaShare

iMediaShare provides easy access to video and audio content from various sources, allowing people to enjoy their favorite content on-demand on any connected TV. With iMediaShare the mobile handset can easily enable and seamlessly control the streaming of digital media to any TV screen.

Find out more about iMediaShare at www.imediashare.tv

The subject has been heavily analyzed with mostly location and other demographics based characteristics such as age and gender as criteria, but few researchers have delved deeper. So we rolled our sleeves and embarked on a mission to compare some more user profile attributes.

Research Methodology

We took a popular mobile app available for both platforms and extended it slightly to start collecting user profile data. Within a month we collected data for 20,972 US-based users (roughly equally split between the two platforms) which we deem enough to claim some statistical significance of the results.

Note: The research is based on one app only. Although it provides exactly the same functionality for both platforms, it targets similar types of users and is equally popular, some results could be skewed due to app-specific reasons.

Part of the research was dedicated to comparing our findings with the US census database to see how much our mobile user differs from the average citizen, but we’ll skip that part for now. Our focus will be the differences in the profile of the average iOS user compared to the average Android user.

And here come the results…

Household Income

So far so good… One stereotype validated: iOS users are generally more affluent.

Example demonstrating how to read the chart: 12.18% of our Android users are in the $100-200K group, while this number for our iOS users is 13.24%. Hence the difference of 8.70% depicted on the chart above.

Primary Language

Race

Residence

iOS is significantly less popular outside of urban areas.

Time of Activity

Compared to Android users, iOS users are generally more active during the week and work hours.

Conclusion

If you target affluent urban people who use their mobile devices during work hours, go with iPhone app development first. Consider a multilingual version of your app as 20% of your users are likely to speak Spanish or other Indo-European language.

If you are after a larger percentage of the market (up to $80K annual household income) and you are planning an app to be used during leisure time, consider professional Android application development.

Having said that, the differences in the demographics of the major groups are generally not that significant and your mobile application development research should probably give more weight to other factors such as platform popularity, technical capabilities, app distribution options and revenue-generation prospects.

Award-winning breakthrough content and advanced interactive networks, coupled with ultra-fast broadband, large-scale interactive media and IP video on any screen makes cable a harbinger of charge for a new era of advanced communications.

The NCTA’s annual exhibition Cable Show 2011 is the event that covers all that. The Cable Show will take place in Chicago, IL next week. This is the place to hear leading executives discuss their vision of next-generation networks and TV platforms. It is also the place to share our view of the future of personal TV and how to leverage the potential of existing home and mobile infrastructure.

Come along to our booth and join Bianor’s team for the unveiling of a great new edition of iMediaShare. Discover the amazing integration of Apple and Google media worlds!

Find us at booth 2039, McCormick Palace, Chicago, IL – Jun 14th – 16th!

About iMediaShare

iMediaShare provides easy access to video and audio content from various sources, allowing people to enjoy their favorite content on-demand on any connected TV. With iMediaShare the mobile handset can easily enable and seamlessly control the streaming of digital media to any TV screen.

About The Cable Show

The Cable Show is hosted by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), the principal trade association of the cable television industry in the United States. It is a three-day immersion into everything cable can do. People, platforms and potential for new business abound. Idea-inspiring panel sessions on the latest thinking in content delivery, consumer behavior and technology breakthroughs are presented, along with first-hand demonstrations of new concepts for programming, technology and business support.

Some of the speakers at this year’s events include executives from Comcast, Goldman Sachs, NBC Universal, Samsung, Citigroup, Time Warner, Cablevision, Best Buy, ESPN, Comcast, Cox, Viacom, News Corp, Turner, Motorola and many others.

You’ve decided your business needs a mobile application. Whether planning to provide service for customers or an enterprise solution to boost employees’ productivity, the first question of development is: Which platform?

We will review the big players on the market – RIM’s BlackBerry OS, Google’s Android, Apple’s iOS and attempt to point out factors to consider when making that decision.

Audience

When planning a consumer application, the most obvious consideration is how to reach the biggest number of users. Therefore, your choice must be guided mostly by what type of audience you are expecting to reach.

Google’s Android has been around for about two and a half years now and its versatility has resulted in plentiful professional android application development which in turn made it successful. Unlike iOS or Blackbery OS, it is available on multiple devices, espoused by manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola and HTC, which is probably why it’s the current leader and fastest growing smartphone OS by market share. This however means that not every phone will be able to run your app the same way. There is segmentation within the Android space itself, with some models, like the Motorla Droid for example targeting business users in particular.

The iPhone, as well as most other Apple products, has stereotypically been seen as a hipster trademark and a favorite of the cool creative professional. Although there is more than a grain of truth to that, last year AT&T reported that 40% of its iPhone sales were to business customers, which suggests they are taking away share from Research In Motion. The iPhone of course is wildly popular with mobile app developers, holding about a quarter of the US smartphone market as of February, which still makes it a great way to reach a big number of users.

As the perennial enterprise solution leader, the Blackberry OS is a logical choice if your app targets the business/corporate crowd. Companies have given out millions of Berries to their employees but keep in mind that they disable many features such as the camera or bbm messenger in order to keep their bees productive. Be weary of what services your app will utilize and whether your customers will have ready access to it.

Technical Capabilities

Android once again offers the advantage of having access to a myriad of devices, albeit with much variety in performance characteristics. However, you can count on Android phones running Flash (a no-no with BlackBerry and iOS), which can be a big plus. Additionally, since new Android devices come out all the time, android application developers know they can reliably run any power-hungry app and the market will catch up quickly.

The iPhone 4 has the Apple A4 processor which debuted with the iPad 1, and leaves us expecting to see what the iPhone 5 will have in store. The iPhone’s groundbreaking multi-touch interface, two cameras, gyroscope, compass and accelerometer make it a very powerful platform. As with all Apple products, the operating system has been optimized to work with exactly that hardware configuration, so you don’t have to worry about performance.

RIM has been heavily criticized recently about falling behind the curve in developing media-intensive devices and newer interfaces (remember the Storm?). Recently they’ve shown reluctance to get into the hyperphone market and put out a device with a dual-core processor anytime soon. This means that if you want to develop something that really pushes today’s fastest smartphones to the edge, BlackBerry OS is probably not the best choice.

Profitability and Future Prospects

If you are considering making a profit from the sales of your app, you must take a look at the pricing models of the different platform app stores. RIM’s Blackberry App World takes a fixed $200 fee that allows you to develop up to 10 apps, and they take a 30% cut from every sale. Apple charges $99 per year to allow you to develop for the App Store and also takes 30% of every sale. Android has a one-time $25 registration fee, and as well commissions 30% from every app sale.

A recent study confirms that there are some differences in the method of monetizing on mobile application investment. The study states that 20% of all free apps and 80% of all paid apps in the Android Market have been downloaded fewer than 100 times to date worldwide. At the same time some paid iOS applications have generated over 500,000 downloads in March and April just from the US store, with certain game apps being dowloaded about 250,000 times. The above suggests that iPhone applications could be able to bring revenue on their own, while if developing for Android it might be a good idea to consider in-app advertising.

A tricky question, but one to consider if you hope your app will last on the market. Judging by the BlackBerry PlayBook, debuting the BlackBerry OS 7, Research In Motion is moving hard into more media-friendly territory, developing flash and good multitasking support. Apple is likely to continue churning out stylish and powerful smartphones. Some questions remain about flash support and multitasking. Android will probably keep on being the leader, but device segmentation and large amounts of spam apps could pause a challenge.

Conclusion

We’ve only intended to provide an initial overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the three leading smartphone operating systems on the market today. Additional thought can be given to the swiftly becoming popular tablet devices , Apple’s iPad, RIM’s PlayBook etc. Please share your experience on working with mobile application development companies and choosing what platform to start development with?

Uniondale, NY, May 30, 2011 – Bianor and Deutsche Welle join forces to bring the German broadcaster’s on-demand videos to connected TV screens around the globe. Deutsche Welle produces news, background information and cultural highlights worldwide, creating a platform for intercultural dialogue. Its on-demand video library is now part of iMediaShare’s video channel lineup – available both in English and German.

Bianor’s iMediaShare is a mobile solution that enables users to personalize their TV experience. It provides easy access to video and audio content from various sources to let people enjoy their favorite content on any connected TV. iMediaShare transforms the mobile handset into a personal all-in-one media manager that combines content portability with seamless media streaming and TV remote control functionality.

“The content quality is key to great TV experience. We are very excited to partner with Deutsche Welle and to deliver content from this leading broadcaster to the international audience”, says Metodi Filipov, Bianor’s Managing Director. “On-demand video consumption gains popularity as more people want to be in full control of what and when they watch. Unlike traditional TV broadcasting solutions iMediaShare is specifically designed to address these needs”, adds Metodi Filipov.

“Working with a company, as innovative as Bianor, provides us with a great opportunity to expand into new areas of business”, says Petra Schneider, Deutsche Welle Director of Distribution. ”We really do have something for every iMediaShare user in our selection of on-demand content which ranges from business and politics to sports, music, lifestyle and art – all produced in the heart of Europe”.

iMediaShare serves over a million media items monthly, and over 2,500 new users join the community every day to enjoy the convenience of on-demand media. iMediaShare is available for free for iPhone and Android platforms.

About Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle is Germany’s international broadcaster. With DW-TV, DW-RADIO and DW-WORLD.DE, the company produces news, background information and cultural highlights worldwide, while creating a platform for intercultural dialogue. Deutsche Welle is a respected and credible source of information that reaches more than 86 million listeners and viewers worldwide every week and distributes programming and services via a global satellite network, partner stations (rebroadcasting) and on the Internet, as well as utilizing modern forms of media like podcasting, live-streaming, newsletters, mobile offers and RSS services.

Uniondale, NY, April 5, 2011 – Bianor has added the first news on demand channel to its content streaming and TV playback platform iMediaShare for the US and Canada. France 24 is a 24/7 international news channel, covering international current events from a French perspective through diversity of opinions, debate & confrontation of viewpoints. The channel offers a European perspective on world events, and provides a key to understanding ever more complex events through in-depth analysis.

Bianor’s iMediaShare transforms the smartphone into a remote control, allowing seamless playback of online content on connected TV’s. Users can play online videos on any connected TV at any time, whether at home, or visiting friends. iMediaShare turns the smartphone into a personal media device combining TV guide, TV remote control and set-top box functionality in one unit.

Arnaud Verlhac – France 24’s Head of Distribution Americas ads: “We are very happy to announce the addition of France 24 breaking news, events and highlights. In addition to our satellite broadcast iMediaShare on demand distribution will allows us to reach more TV customers in North America. France 24 provides in depth coverage of the recent events in the Middle East.”