Google to Acquire Widevine

Widevine has agreed to be acquired by Google. In a blog posting, Widevine CEO Brian Baker wrote:

"For many years, Widevine has enabled consumers to access digital entertainment content. Through a combination of content protection and video optimization technologies, we’ve provided consumers with the highest quality Internet video experience while giving them freedom to watch on a variety of devices. By working with Google, we are even further committed to the consumer Internet video experience and to the needs of content owners. We are excited to have access to Google’s vast resources as we continue to improve our products."

And on Google’s blog, Mario Queiroz, VP of product management, wrote:

"With rapidly improving broadband and wireless speeds, more powerful smartphones, and higher resolution screens on devices of all shapes and sizes, it’s becoming easier than ever to watch video wherever you want, whenever you want. And while it’s still fun to pull an old movie off the shelf and throw it in the DVD player, streaming is rapidly becoming the standard way for you to find the content you want to watch now. We’ve seen this on YouTube – where we get over 2 billion views every day – but it’s much bigger than that, as proven by the increasing popularity of movie subscription services and tablets.

"We are committed to maintaining Widevine’s agreements and will provide direct, quality support for their existing and future clients – and we plan to build upon Widevine’s technology to enhance both their products and our own. We’re excited to welcome the Widevine team to Google, and together we’ll work to improve access to great video content across the Web."