14 DAY TRIAL // London-based Saffron Digital, a company focusing on media and content services, has just been acquired by handset manufacturer HTC.
The strategic investment by HTC is expected to prove a good addition to the Taiwanese manufacturer's portfolio, as the company's digital media ambitions continue to progress.
The recent acquisition may suggest that HTC intends to evolve its Sense UI to other areas such as gaming and music services.
“Saffron Digital has developed an incredible expertise in mobile multimedia delivery. This ability to deliver optimised content in the future will be a key asset as content becomes more and more complex and localized,“ said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation.
“We are excited to be working with Saffron to increase our global service delivery capabilities and expertise,” continued Chou.
Saffron Digital has a long history in providing media and content service to important brands in Europe, such as HTC, LG, Paramount Digital Entertainment, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile and Nokia, among others, and Samsung in the US. The company has previously entered partnerships with companies such as Microsoft and Widevine, to offer customers some of its video solutions across a range of devices.
“HTC’s investment increases our global expansion capabilities and provides us with an opportunity to expand into new markets like Asia and new sectors like games and music delivery,” says Shashi Fernando, CEO of Saffron Digital.
“We have grown Saffron Digital into one of the best and most exciting digital service providers in the world and this enables us to take digital content delivery to a new level for our customers around the world,” concluded Fernando.
Even though the company has been acquired by HTC, Saffron Digital will continue to provide its media and content services to third party partners, which include device manufacturers, network operators and content providers in 26 countries.
According to Saffron Digital, the company will maintain its headquarters in London and Los Angeles while its management team will continue unchanged.