View source for ThePlatform

{{About|web media delivery software company|other uses|The Platform (disambiguation){{!}}The Platform}}
{{notability|Companies|date=March 2017}}
{{lowercase title}}
{{Infobox dot-com company
| name = thePlatform
| company_type = [[Subsidiary]]
| foundation = 2000
| dissolved = 2016
| location_city = Seattle, Washington
| owner = [[Comcast]] (from 2006)
| location_country = USA
| key_people = Ian Blaine (CEO)
| num_employees = 190
| industry = Video on demand services
| url = {{URL|http://www.theplatform.com}}
}}

'''thePlatform''' was a [[Seattle]], Washington based online video publishing company that was acquired by [[Comcast]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite news
  | url          = http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Comcast-buys-Seattle-s-thePlatform-1207391.php
  | title        = Comcast buys Seattle's thePlatform: ''Digital media firm will stay here''
  | website    = [[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]
  | date         = 27 June 2006
  | access-date   = 6 March 2017
}}</ref> The company worked with digital media companies to manage and publish video and audio. It was absorbed into the newly formed '''Comcast Technology Solutions''' division in October 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Comcast Technology Solutions™ Division Unites the Broadcast Expertise of Comcast Wholesale™ with the Digital Technologies of thePlatform® and THIS TECHNOLOGY™ to Power Every Screen {{!}} Comcast Technology Solutions|url=https://www.comcasttechnologysolutions.com/news/new-comcast-technology-solutionstm-division-unites-broadcast-expertise-comcast-wholesaletm-0|publisher=Comcast Technology Solutions|access-date=9 June 2017|language=en|date=19 October 2016}}</ref>

==Products==
thePlatform's mpx is a video management system, providing publishing tools targeting PCs, mobile phones, and TVs. mpx Essentials is a service marketed towards businesses with smaller video libraries.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/06/05/theplatform-mpx-essentials/|title=thePlatform Goes Mid-Market, Introduces mpx Essentials To Compete With Brightcove And Ooyala|work=TechCrunch|access-date=2018-11-16|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.multichannel.com/news/comcasts-theplatform-overhauls-video-system-mpx-328926|title=Comcast's ThePlatform Overhauls Video System With 'MPX'|work=Multichannel|access-date=2018-11-16|language=en-us}}</ref> The mpx Dev Kit provides tools for enhancing video management systems and offers a video player design canvas.

== History ==
thePlatform was founded in 2000 by Ian Blaine, Andrew Olson, Alan Ramaley, Andy Sodt, Rahul Sonnad, and Brad Chodos-Irvine. Previously, in 1998, Blaine and Sodt founded an online personal information management company, Uniplanet, which was acquired by NBCi in 1999.

== Purchase by Comcast ==
In June 2006, [[Comcast]] purchased the Seattle-based software company thePlatform. This represented Comcast's entry into a new line of business, selling software to allow companies to manage their Internet (and IP-based) media publishing efforts. In 2014, co-founder Ian Blaine was replaced as CEO by Marty Roberts and Jamie Miller were appointed  as co-CEOs.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Spangler|first1=Todd|title=Comcast Replaces Ian Blaine as CEO of ThePlatform Online-Video Unit|url=https://variety.com/2014/digital/exec-shuffle-people-news/comcast-shakes-up-management-at-theplatform-online-video-unit-1201175291/|website=Variety|access-date=10 June 2017|date=8 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.geekwire.com/2014/theplatform-co-founder-ian-blaine-step-14-years-new-co-ceos-named/|title=ThePlatform co-founder Ian Blaine to step down after 14 years, new co-CEOs named|date=2014-05-08|work=GeekWire|access-date=2018-11-16|language=en-US}}</ref> After operating as essentially a standalone unit for almost a decade, thePlatform came under the direction of Comcast Wholesale in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|last1=O'Neill|first1=Jim|title=thePlatform realigns under Comcast Wholesale|url=http://www.ooyala.com/videomind/blog/theplatform-realigns-under-comcast-wholesale|website=VIDEOMIND|publisher=Ooyala|access-date=9 June 2017|date=13 October 2015|language=en}}</ref> In 2016, it was absorbed into Comcast Technology Solutions.

== Internet TV partnerships ==
Customers of thePlatform include Verizon Wireless, BBC Worldwide,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Whitney|first1=Daisy|title=BBC Puts YouTube Channel on thePlatform|url=http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/06/bbc_youtube_theplatform.php|archive-date=December 18, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091218182720/http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/06/bbc_youtube_theplatform.php|website=TVWeek|date=26 June 2007|access-date=9 June 2017}}</ref> [[CNBC]], [[MSNBC]], CBS Sports, AP, NBC Local, and HiT Entertainment.

==See also==
* [[Content management system]]

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.theplatform.com thePlatform]
* [http://www.comcast.com Comcast]
{{Comcast}}
{{Video digital distribution platforms}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Platform, The}}
[[Category:Defunct video on demand services]]
[[Category:Video hosting]]