Google in talks to buy Israeli start-up Catch Media
Start-up has a strategic partnership with Ariel Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's brother.
By Guy Grimland Tags: Israel newsSearch giant Google is in early talks to acquire the Israeli start-up Catch Media to better compete with archrival iTunes, the news Web site Cnet reported.
Catch Media is based in Los Angeles and runs a research and development center in Jerusalem. The company has a strategic partnership with Ariel Emanuel, brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
The company's "Play Anywhere" technology is being developed to help surfers access digital information stored on their home computers - from regular files to movies and music - using a range of devices, such as cellphones and car media players. Users will also be able to share their files with friends.
Co-founder and CEO Yaacov Ben-Yaacov also founded the start-up PictureVision, which Kodak bought in 1998 for over $150 million. "A lot of big companies have been talking about all kinds of things with us," Ben-Yaacov told TheMarker. "We of course are not involved in the report on Cnet, but everybody knows that Google wants a service to compete with Apple's iTunes. You'll soon be hearing a lot of announcements from us regarding collaborations with other companies."
iTunes enables surfers to purchase and download media, but only to Apple hardware - be it computers, iPhones or iPods. Catch Media's technology would enable users to purchase and download material to any device using Google software, such as computers and Android-based cellphones. Their home computer system would essentially become a "home base" for their favorite files, which they could then read, see or hear on other devices either at home or outside the home.
Catch Media already has collaborative relationships with four major music companies: Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Warner Music Group and EMI Music.
Yaacov Ben-Yaacov and his brother and co-founder Boaz Ben-Yaacov are serial entrepreneurs. According to IVC Online, Catch Media's investors include Jonathan Medved, the entrepreneur behind Vringo and former manager of the Israel Seed venture capital fund.
Google commented to Cnet that while it is in constant talks with various parties about various things, it does not respond to rumors. A representative of Catch Media refused to comment on the report.
One motive behind Google's interest may be Apple's stated intention to advance iTunes to cloud (pool) computing, creating a free music-streaming service. Catch Media in a sense does that very thing already: It is developing technology for users to easily access their media content from a range of sources using different devices.
|
A Google logo is displayed in New York. |
| Photo by: (AP) |
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
I'm a technologist in the music space. What remains to be seen is whether iTunes will be released for other mobile platforms. One would assume this would be the case. However, Apple's desktop OS supports Flash but it's mobile OS does not. There is reasonable doubt that Apple will refuse to support other mobile platforms. Conversely, it's possible that Google, Blackberry, and the others won't allow iTunes on their devices. Catch Media is in a big game of roulette. In one sense, it would be extremely easy for Apple to compete with them. However, if they can win long-term agreements with Google and Blackberry they could actually give Apple a run for their money. Remember, Apple still has the minority marketshare on mobile phones. Although the iPhone has gotten the most attention -- that isn't evidence that they will win the mobile race.
Kal, you need to take a chill pill.... The author here was not too far off base, he was talking about what itunes is enabled to work with, his only tiny mistake was using the word computer in conjunction with "hardware" but from the other perspectives he is correct i.e. iphone (phone) and ipod (mp3 player). I'd be much obliged if you would point me in to the direction of what other hardware other than apple's, itunes knows how to sync with, uhhh yea that's right there are none, considering the fact that there are about 100x different "music" phones than iphones and ipods combined worldwide you would expect itunes "the best player bar none" to play nicely with others, well it doesn't, if you have a Nokia, Android, Palm, Winmo, SE, LG, Samsung, Blackberry, then well you're screwed. BTW soon you'll have to buy an "iCar" to play it in your car too.... Catch Media solves that problem. so chill dude
Another great example of Israeli Innovation.CatchMedia sounds like a winner! Makes one proud to be an Israeli
iTunes is the most popular piece of PC software worldwide, bar none.
Apple is excluding others from its iPhone?
There is a VERY BASIC and EMBARRASSING MISTAKE in this article. It is so basic, it is rather curious. You claim that iTunes only runs on "Apple hardware." This is FALSE and has NOT BEEN TRUE for MANY YEARS. iTunes is not only FREE, but runs on ANY Windows PC or Mac. Notice that Windows PC are not made by Apple :-) How could this writer have made such a basic mistake? Is this person the only individual who has perhaps never seen nor knows anyone who uses iTunes, or is this a backhanded way to promote a potential financial deal with Google? The story is not accurate in this sense, and the claim that iTunes only runs on Apple hardware is NOT true! I would be interested in a reply and explanation, because as a fellow journalist I am curious as to how such a basic, blatant mistake like this could have been made. Were the Editors are unaware of this fact? Does anyone at Haaretz even know what iTunes is? Cordially, Kal