For the past four years or so, Toronto-based SeaWell Networks has been looking to solve the problem of how to control and monetize multiscreen video. It helps do so by developing technology that overlays an existing deliver network, allowing for dynamic repackaging with targeted advertising and on-demand encryption.

The concept that the team at SeaWell developed was to get the session back into video delivery. Everything is controlled by the device, pulling in the bit rate demanded by the buffering strategy. This puts the QoS under the control of client implementation. One of the biggest value propositions for SeaWell is its ability to give back control that providers have lost, allowing them to add targeted ads. There is a different between packaging and repackaging. Companies that do packaging take things from one format to another. SeaWell does dynamic repackaging, taking an on-demand stream from a device, and repackaging it in a smooth fashion.

SeaWell works with companies like Ericsson (News - Alert), BlackArrow and more, providing ad insertion technology, tackling encryption and delivery issues that others view as complex. SeaWell helps companies get context around IP, cloud and SDN, which is a major part of the puzzle in terms of controlling upstream and downstream. In terms of the transition from cable to IP, the old world no longer exists, and SeaWell has to help optimize infrastructure for providers.

While ad insertion may seem simple, it is, in fact, more complex than it appears. SeaWell can repackage, session manage and sort the video, then use the manifest to insert the ads in the right place, making for a seamless experience for users and providers alike.