삼성 멀티스크린 회사 MOVL 인수! 본격 스마트 TV 플랫폼강화 시작?

아래 기사는 삼성이 TV와 무선으로 연결해 게임을 즐기는 스타트업 회사인 MOVL 를 인수했다는 기사인데요.

MOVL은 주요사업으로 멀티스크린 개발 플랫폼을 제작하고 있는 회사였다고 합니다. 예전에 멀티스크린을 활용한 게임인 Poker Fun을 출시하여 플랫폼의 실제 적용가능성을 보여주어 화제가 되었는데요. Poker Fun은 사용자들이 TV에서 포커게임을 하면서, 자신이 들고 있는 카드는 자신의 스마트폰에서 보는 방식의 게임으로 TV와 모바일을 무선으로 연결하여 게임을 하는 방식으로 앞으로 스마트TV개발에 각광받을 만한 기술이었습니다. 이를 계기로 스마트TV용 엔터테인먼트앱 개발 전문업체로 이름을 알리게 되었죠.

 

삼성이 이러한 MOVL을 인수한 이유에는 LG와 경쟁하여 스마트TV의 주도권을 쥐기 위한 전략으로 하나의 콘텐츠를 TV, 휴대폰, PC 등 다양한 기기에서 끊김없이 이용할 수 있는 N스크린 서비스를 강화하기 위한 포석으로 해석이 됩니다. 이번 인수 건을 통해서 스마트TV를 활용한 서비스 플랫폼 개발이 어떻게 업그레이드가 될지 기대가 됩니다.

 

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Samsung has acquired the Atlanta-based second-screen startup MOVL.

 

The acquisition happened last month but hasn’t been reported until now. Terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed, but it looks like a typical acqui-hire.

A MOVL spokesperson confirmed the acquisition when contacted by GigaOM, sending over the following statement:

 

“In April 2013, two years after inception, MOVL has officially joined forces with Samsung. We are now a part of Samsung Electronics, and we are excited to combine our multi-screen capabilities with Samsung’s scale and innovation in its device ecosystem.”

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MOVL has developed a number of second-screen games for connected TVs. Some of the better-known titles include PokerFun, which lets users play poker on the TV while displaying the cards they are holding on their smart phones, and WeDraw, a social drawing game for Samsung smart TVs and Google TV devices.

 

However, MOVL didn’t just develop games. The company also built a second-screen development platform dubbed MOVL Connect that simplified the process of developing these kinds of multi-screen applications. MOVL’s games are based on and meant to demonstrate the capabilities of that platform, as CTO Alan Queen told me in 2011.

 

One of the main capabilities of that platform has been to allow users to join a game, or interact with an app running on their TV even if their phone doesn’t reside on the same Wi-Fi network — something that’s especially important for social apps, but that also lowers the bar for less technically inclined users. The platform is also capable of displaying synchronized ads on both screens.

 

It’s likely that MOVL will phase out the operation of its platform in the coming months. The company has a staff of nine, all of which have joined Samsung, with plans to relocate all Atlanta-based employees to the Bay Area. MOVL had raised a modest $1 million from Bert Ellis, Kris Pinto and Mark Cuban.

 

 

http://gigaom.com/2013/05/06/samsung-movl-acquisition/