Akimbo is Dead

Bernie — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:46:45 -0400

Akimbo, an Internet video-on-demand service provider is no more. They’ve made it to TechCrunch’s dreaded Deadpool. It’s somewhat of a puzzling development, since Akimbo raised $56 million just three months ago. Akimbo had shifted their business model to a “white label” provider of Internet VOD. CenturyTel recently launched an Internet VOD product, powered by Akimbo. Akimbo was also featured in AT&T’s Homezone product. Akimbo’s demise gives Internet VOD somewhat of a blackeye. They originally started as a hardware provider, offering VOD set-top-boxes. They then shifted to a Internet only model, and their last iteration before death was a “white label” provider. Is there an Internet VOD model that works, because it looks like Akimbo tried them all?

CenturyTel Continues Focus on PC Video

Bernie — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:40:00 -0500

CenturyTel and Akimbo have announced a partnership in which CenturyTel will make Akimbo's 8,000 Internet based VOD titles available to CenturyTel's 500K plus broadband subscribers. The news, first reported by Multichannel News, illustrates CenturyTel's continuing strategy of adding entertainment value to their DSL products. We reported back in October how CenturyTel launched a PC based NetVideo offering. This recent Akimbo announcement expands on these earlier efforts. This is Akimbo's first major announcement since shifting strategy earlier this year and going with a new set-top-boxless solution for distribution of their content library. Akimbo is actively courting service providers like CenturyTel who are looking to add entertainment value to their broadband services. CenturyTel is taking a leadership position in exploring PC based video as a potential competitive differentiator for broadband.