Over the next few weeks, I’ll be publishing a series of posts under the title: “20 Questions with Dr. Dre(y)”.

These are conversations I’ve had with Kris Drey, the founder of VidCompare.com-  an online service that helps folks find the perfect online video platform provider suited to their needs. Kris is also Vice President (Product Marketing and Management) at Fliqz, which is also an excellent online video hosting and delivery service.

Kris happens to be one of the under-mentioned stalwarts of the online video space, IMHO. His perspectives on online video are very clear, grounded in reality, and create a good balance between innovating vs. catering to demand. We are totally delighted to have Kris talk to us and share his thoughts, so after a round of profuse thanks, and without further ado:

#1: Kris, you’re the founder of a terrific site that compares video platforms, VidCompare. It’s surprising that in the 10-odd years of streaming media being around, there hasn’t been a site like VidCompare. Why do you think that is?

Kris Drey:

The key reason for the lack of an OVP comparison site until now is that online video has not been in the mainstream for long, we’re still in our infancy. But thanks to massive broadband penetration and the birth of YouTube, online video has become a world-wide phenomenon pushing viewership numbers to astronomical levels with and astounding 21.4 billion views in July ’09, in the US alone. This staggering number proves the fact that online video is no fad, much like email has become a permanent and daily part of our lives.

Consumers and enterprises alike have come to realize the power of online video in the form of entertainment, shrinking television viewing, and as a highly effective marketing tool. OV is no longer just a competitive advantage but is rapidly becoming a table stake for any online marketer.

The OVP space is looking more and more like the CDN space every day as feature sets expand and prices retract. Platforms are beginning to narrow their focus on core competencies such as video SEO, syndication, and analytics for example. The fight for differentiation is fierce as business deals are struck with third parties forming deep partnership programs offering a wide array of solutions, and internal technologies advance bringing about unique offerings such as Kaltura’s open source platform.

Now, more than ever, as marketers look for new ways to drive high quality leads, online video is proving to be at the top of the list of every strategic roadmap. This fervency has sparked a fire that has yet to be contained in the growth of the OVP space. Innovators such as The Feedroom, Brightcove, and thePlatform are joined by a wave of new players like Marcellus, Wistia, and vzaar and we’re still seeing new players come into the fray like the recently launched Quick.tv.

This is where initiatives like the OVPSummit and VidCompare come in play. The mission of VidCompare is to help first-time buyers of video, such as VPs of Marketing and CEOs, understand the options available to them, and to assist them in choosing the right platform provider for their business needs.

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Burning question for OVPSummit/VidCompare audiences:

How do you use Vid Compare? What’s the one feature/service missing on the site currently that would simplify the evaluation process for you?
Fire away in the comments section below.

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Every valid response will a free BASIC account at Marcellus for 30-days, in addition to the 30-day evaluation- a $25 value!
Be sure to leave your e-mail address, and rest assured that we will never ever give it out to anyone else, or use it for any purpose except for this one specific e-mail sending you instructions on redeeming this offer.

I got my first email at 12:28 pm – “rumor: Google to buy Brightcove.”

I got my second email at 1:07 pm – “rumor false: Google to buy Brightcove.”

I spent the time during those emails scratching my head – What is wrong with the Brin/Page/Schmidt triumvirate? Does it really make sense for Google to invest in an up-market (at those price points Brightcove is no Walmart) white-label video streaming provider?

Google has an audacious goal – organize the world’s information. I guess it does make sense for Google to acquire tools that publish that information… but Brightcove? Seriously? Some reports went on to expand that it would create synergies with Youtube. Um… you mean the same synergy that Brightcove and Brightcove TV created?

Sometimes the sum of the parts is less than the parts themselves… what these speculators are missing out on is: the white-label video platform space is different than the UGC video portal space. Publishers in the white-label video have different needs – they are not looking for platforms that market their content.

They are looking for tools that let them publish, manage and track their content at affordable price points. Then they are looking for a platform that lets them scale up and scale down on-demand. Simply put, IMHO – Google + Brightcove makes as much sense as Pizza + Ketchup. Sounds exciting for 39 minutes… and then you wake up.