Sun Microsystems and SoftCom Join For E-Commerce Video

Sun Microsystems today announced a joint marketing agreement designed to market SoftCom’s patent-pending technology and bring e-commerce and interactive capabilities to online video using the companies’ interactive video solutions for content providers and Java technology developers worldwide.

As part of the agreement, Sun (SUNW) and SoftCom will collaborate on marketing and sales efforts designed to enable content providers to leverage their video assets online and create new revenue streams by integrating e-commerce capability and other interactive elements into both existing video libraries and next generation interactive video content.

The companies will also collaborate on using Java technology as a tool to distribute interactive video content between television (via set top boxes) and desktop computers.

Together, Sun and SoftCom will work with content providers to customize solutions designed to help them digitize, host and feature elements such as text, chat and e-commerce “buy buttons” in the video environment.

Based on Sun’s Java programming language, SoftCom’s technology helps its partners take advantage of the possibilities of Web and new broadband platforms, including PCs, TVs and handheld devices. SoftCom’s solution is designed to work with streamed video using standard players on the Internet and with existing video libraries.

“We will target enterprise-scale Internet, entertainment and media customers, offering them the ability to take full advantage of the Internet as a distribution outlet, e-commerce resource and marketing tool for video” said Bill Correll, group manager, worldwide digital media market, Sun Microsystems, Inc.

“SoftCom’s technology opens the door to a new realm of e-commerce and video interactivity, allowing users to interact with video through pop-up chat windows, product placement and interactive menus.”