Verizon has agreed to license start-up Veveo’s technology for cloud-based search associated with its FiOS TV service.
The license agreement settles a lawsuit that Veveo filed against Verizon in which the start-up claimed the carrier’s search operations violated its patents. Veveo claims 30 U.S. patents and 30 pending patent applications.
Comcast, AT&T, Cablevision, Rogers Communications and DirecTV are among the other companies that Veveo identifies as partners. None of those partners have said much publicly about their partnerships with Veveo.
Veveo explains that its technology enables personalized search capabilities, making search results faster and more relevant for each user. Search results are sharpened when subscribers elect to rate new content based on personal relevance.
Being cloud-based, the search capability cuts across TVs, phones, tablets and other connected devices.
Verizon said it entered into a nonexclusive license of certain Veveo search patents for both TV and mobile devices.
Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Verizon said it will also explore expanding its partnership with Veveo across various lines of business in the future.
“Veveo is thrilled to extend our partnership with Verizon,” said Murali Aravamudan, CEO of Veveo. “Verizon is aggressively developing integrated video entertainment solutions, and it is a natural extension for Veveo to facilitate personalized search and discovery experiences tailored to each unique customer.”
Eric Bruno, vice president of product management for Verizon, said: “Video search and personalized recommendations are a developing component of the FiOS TV customer experience. We are pleased to license Veveo’s technology and begin exploring additional ways to work together.”
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