Video chat provider ooVoo has rolled out a new 12-way HD video Facebook application and ‘category-defining’ iPad app with four simultaneous HD video streams.
CEO Yuval Baharav says ooVoo reaches an estimated 46 million users worldwide: “At the most fundamental level, ooVoo provides free social video chat and integrated messaging. Diving a layer deeper, ooVoo offers an open social layer that augments existing popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter with the addition of high-quality group video chat.”
The 12-way video chat is free across any combination of PC, iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac platforms, as well as the new Facebook and Web Calling apps.
“ooVoo goes beyond basic Internet telecommunications services (such as Skype) that were originally designed to replace long-distance phone calls with low-cost calling alternatives or one-to-one video chat, and that charge a premium for access to group video chat. Instead, ooVoo brings groups of friends, families and like-minded communities together face-to-face for free: the ooVoo’s community doesn’t use ooVoo, so much as they are “on” ooVoo.”
With the imminent launch of Airtime, we asked about the differences between the two. “Airtime will offer a matching-like service driving people to meet like-minded people outside their social graph. Their communication will be based on one-on-one video, which is a must in today's age, as all would agree. ooVoo is the exact opposite: it is about high-quality group video chat with your friends across all social media and across all devices.”
In the past 18 months, ooVoo has grown from 19 million to more than 46 million users, and adds on average, 100,000 users per day who actively share via Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Some key metrics of the service include:
- More than 60% of ooVoo users are under the age of 25
- 55% of the overall ooVoo user base is female
- Global user mix is 65% US 35% international
- ooVoo video chats on average last 20 minutes
- Approximately 10 banner ads are displayed on the video chat window
- On average, ooVoo users spend more than 3.3 hours per month on the service.
Clients include P&G, FiOS, KFC, Universal Pictures, Coke, Johnson & Johnson, Target, Merck, Vizio and Coachella. “Another factor that sets ooVoo apart from our peers is that we monetize our service through advertising, which offers a great deal of opportunity and reach for advertisers via our community,” said Baharav.
“ooVoo recently hosted a branded video chat between the cast and fans of American Reunion for Universal Pictures, which was a big hit with fans during the live event and after the event as viral video content. For music fans, ooVoo partnered with Vizio at the KROQ Coachella House this year to connect fans and bands on site with viewers that participated virtually via a Vizio-branded Web page and a roving Vizio tablet at the house. More than 19,000 ooVoo fans took part in this event.”
The ooVoo app offers standard IAB ad units as well as takeover sponsorship opportunities. “By amplifying an advertiser’s association with popular content, such as a broadcast partnership, it reverberates throughout social media by layering on fan interaction in video conversations with bands and brands.”
According to Baharav, ooVoo defines the connected, always-on communication that is a way of life for tens of millions of teens and young adults. The ooVoo logo is evocative of two pairs of eyes, and a "V" for video reflecting the company's vision of a more open and connected world.
“We’ve witnessed a fascinating transformation in social communications whereby ooVoo has created a unique forum for “ambient” video chat. Our users tend to be a community of video-taskers – meaning they watch TV, play videogames, dance, play music and just “be” together — all the while staying connected via ooVoo.”
Starting today the ooVoo update is available for download from their website, the iPhone App Store and the Google Play marketplace.
| Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us | FAQ 
