Broadcasting
IBM Acquires Ustream to Propel Cloud-Based Video Services

IBM has announced its acquisition of Ustream, Inc., a provider of cloud-based live video streaming services.
The move will extend the IBM Cloud platform to help enterprise clients unlock the value of video, a rapidly-evolving digital media and data asset.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Ustream provides cloud-based video streaming to enterprises and broadcasters for everything from corporate keynotes to live music concerts.
The company streams live and on-demand video to about 80 million viewers per month for customers such as NASA, Samsung, Facebook, Nike and The Discovery Channel.
Ustream joins the newly-formed IBM Cloud Video Services unit that combines assets from IBM\’s R&D labs and strategic acquisitions.
IBM will deliver a powerful portfolio of video services that spans open API development, digital and visual analytics, simplified management and consistent delivery across global industries.
The unit will be led by General Manager, Braxton Jarratt, and will target the $105 billion opportunity in cloud-based video services and software, according to IBM estimates.
“Video has become a first-class data type in business that requires accelerated performance and powerful analytics that allows clients to extract meaningful insights,” said Robert LeBlanc, senior vice president, IBM Cloud.
“Aligning our expansive video and cloud innovations into an integrated unit will create opportunities for clients to take advantage of this medium in the most strategic way possible.\’
Video has become a primary method for engaging with customers and employees through a wide range of media assets, including webcasts, conference keynotes, training & education webinars, customer care, how-to videos, and more.
As a result, clients across industries require a secure, scalable, and open cloud-based solution to manage video services.
This is especially significant given researchers estimate that 80% of the world’s data is unstructured and dark to computer systems that cannot effectively manage or exploit it. Video makes up a significant part of that data.
New IBM Cloud Video Services Unit Delivers the World’s Most Comprehensive Video Offerings
IBM Cloud is assembling transformational capabilities into the new Cloud Video Services unit to help clients across a wide range of industries integrate video into a strategic source of data.
This includes media & entertainment, retail, education and government services.
The unit combines assets from Ustream, as well as the recent acquisition of Clearleap.
It will also create solutions that integrate technologies from other IBM investments, including Aspera and Cleversafe, as well as IBM R&D innovations.
IBM has been a long-time developer of video and digital media technologies and has been awarded more than 1,000 patents in areas such as visual analytics and indexing and searching large collections of videos and digital images.
The Company has also received four Emmy Awards for video related innovations.
By combining these innovations, IBM is creating a leading Cloud platform that enables clients to easily ingest, store and manage live and on-demand video, enhance them through analytics, apply rights management and language capabilities, and distribute them consistently across the globe.
Ustream’s Live Video Streaming Services
At the heart of the Ustream portfolio is the open Ustream Development Platform which enables clients to create custom video apps to run video on any device and embed video into any application, securely and reliably. Clients can use the company’s real-time social sentiment analytics to gauge audience reactions to the live streaming content.
IBM will integrate Ustream’s development platform into Bluemix to allow clients to provide distinct video services to developers.
In addition, the Ustream portfolio comprises several video solutions, including Ustream Demand, which enables marketers to collect and automate leads into marketing workflows and manage live and on-demand videos from a single dashboard; Ustream Align, which enables secure internal employee communications; and Ustream Pro Broadcasting which offers live video streaming at scale.
“Video is the most powerful and emotional medium,” said Brad Hunstable, CEO, Ustream. “Increasingly it is becoming the favored form of communication, not just for entertainment, but also for business. We’ve built a video platform that is easy-to-use, yet incredibly scalable, secure and powerful and it is these qualities that made us an ideal addition to IBM’s portfolio.”
“Through this latest acquisition and the creation of a new cloud business unit, IBM will provide an end-to-end suite of digital video solutions for the first time under one roof,” said Jarratt.
“As a result, clients will be able to take advantage of every stage of the video life cycle through advances in customization, digital access, visual analytics and more, all to enable the consistent delivery of video content globally.”
Ustream is headquartered in San Francisco, with a development office in Budapest, Hungary, and data centers in San Jose, Calif.; Amsterdam; and Tokyo.
Broadcasting
NDPC Slaps Multichoice with ₦766M Fine for Data Privacy Violations

Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has fined MultiChoice Nigeria ₦766,242,500 for breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
NDPC is a public institution that processes data in furtherance of its mandate as Nigeria’s data protection authority and relies on recognised lawful bases for data processing, such as consent, legal obligation, and contract.
The fine was contained in a statement signed by Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, head Legal, Enforcement & Regulations, NDPC.
According to him, the investigation, which commenced in the second quarter of 2024, was triggered by suspected breach of privacy rights of Multichoice subscribers and illegal cross-border transfer of personal data of Nigerians.
“The NDPC found, among others, that Multichoice violated the data privacy rights of subscribers and their friends who are not necessarily subscribers.
The Commission also found that Multichoice carries out illegal cross-border transfer of personal data relating to data subjects in Nigeria.
The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary, and disproportionate.
This is a grave affront to fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In line with its standard remediation procedure, the Commission directed Multichoice to carry out appropriate remedial measures.
However, the Commission found the measures undertaken by Multichoice in this regard unsatisfactory.
For want of cooperation, the Commission has directed Multichoice to pay ₦766,242,500 for violating the Nigerian Data Protection Act.
“Nigeria is entitled to protect her citizens and data sovereignty under both international and extant municipal laws, as these have far-reaching implication for rule of law, national security, and economic growth.” the statement said.
Babatunde also revealed that, Vincent Olatunji, national Commissioner, NDPC, has directed that all outlets through which Multichoice is collecting personal data of Nigerian citizens should be investigated for non-compliance.
He added that any outlet that processes personal data in violation of the NDP Act is liable to penalty under the Act.
Broadcasting
IFC, AfDB Collaborate with EbonyLife Media to Explore Supporting the African Film Industry to Drive Job Creation

As part of their ongoing efforts to support the growth of Africa’s creative industries and drive job creation in the region, IFC and the African Development Bank have announced a collaboration with EbonyLife Media, Nigeria’s leading media company, to explore the conditions for the creation of a pan-African investment vehicle targeted at the region’s film sector.
The aim is to improve access to financing for productions that promote original African stories around the world. EbonyLife Media has built a reputation for bringing compelling African narratives to global audiences through innovative storytelling.
The company has produced some of the highest-grossing movies in the region and enjoys strategic collaborations with global media companies, including Sony Pictures Television, Westbrook Studios, Starz, Macro Film Studios and Idris Elba’s 22 Summers.
This effort is in line with IFC’s strategy to expand Africa’s creative industries, recognizing the sector’s potential to drive job creation – especially for youth – promote inclusive narratives, and stimulate economic growth across emerging markets.
Despite the growth of film production across the continent over the last few years, Africa’s film sector remains untapped. According to UNESCO, the sector currently supports approximately 5 million jobs and contributes $5 billion to the continent’s GDP.
However, the industry faces significant challenges that inhibit its growth potential, including persistent financing gaps, policy barriers and lack of a robust intellectual property regulatory framework and implementation, which results in up to 50 percent revenue loss to piracy by film producers in the region.
In this context, IFC, AfDB and Ebony Life are exploring ways in which they can crowd in more capital into African film productions and support the expansion of the film industry at scale in the continent, while working with governments to introduce protection of intellectual property and film incentives, essential to strengthen the economics of film production in the continent.
“Africa’s creative economy is a cultural asset and an engine for inclusive growth, youth employment, and global influence. Through this partnership, we aim to unlock new capital for the continent’s storytellers, helping them bring authentic African voices to international platforms while boosting job creation in one of the most dynamic sectors of the future,” said Dahlia Khalifa, Regional Director for Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa at IFC.
Ousmane Fall, The African Development Bank Group’s Director for Private Sector Operations, said: “This collaboration reflects the African Development Bank Group’s growing interest in creative industries as a growth sector supporting entrepreneurship and job creation for young people and women in Africa.
“By joining forces with EbonyLife, Nigeria’s premium media conglomerate, and IFC, a like-minded DFI institution, we are seeking to support the creation of a sustainable investment vehicle for film production in Africa”.
“This has been a long time coming. For nearly two years, I’ve been quietly laying the groundwork—defining and building an ecosystem designed to scale, to unlock opportunity, and to provide the vital capital African filmmakers need to create stories that resonate across borders and generations.
“Today, I am thrilled and deeply proud to welcome the IFC and AfDB on this journey. Together, we will identify ways in which we can catalyze a new era of African storytelling that can thrive on the global stage” said Mo Abudu, CEO, EbonyLife Media.
Broadcasting
Prioritising Security: The Bedrock of Stronger Workplace Collaboration in Nigeria

By Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria
In Nigeria’s dynamic and often demanding business landscape, robust workplace collaboration is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity for sustainable growth and resilience. As per a study, 86% of employees believe that a lack of collaboration can lead to workplace failures; its significance cannot be overstated. As enterprises in 2025 increasingly adopt digital tools to enhance teamwork, one critical foundation must support this transformation: unwavering security.
Today, the need to prioritise security goes far beyond protecting sensitive data. It is about fostering trust and laying a solid foundation upon which effective, innovative collaboration can thrive—especially in an era marked by ever-evolving cyber threats.
Security: The Hidden Pillar of Effective Collaboration
Collaboration flourishes in an environment grounded in confidence and safety. When employees trust that their tools are secure against the sophisticated cyber threats of 2025, they are more likely to share information freely and engage deeply. A secure environment nurtures the psychological safety required for open and meaningful contribution.
Conversely, environments that lack adequate security measures not only deter open collaboration but also expose businesses to data breaches, operational disruptions, and the erosion of client and stakeholder trust—risks no forward-thinking enterprise can afford.
Therefore, security must be treated as a core strategic priority rather than an afterthought. This involves implementing best practices such as strict data access controls based on the principle of least privilege and comprehensive data protection measures—encryption, vulnerability management, and safeguarding data at rest, in transit, and in use. Such a commitment becomes the foundation for enduring, high-performing collaboration.
Integrated Platforms: Enabling Secure, Seamless Collaboration
Striking the right balance between agile collaboration and stringent security requires a deliberate, policy-driven approach. Nigerian businesses should adopt integrated platforms where security is built into the very core of the solution. These platforms offer a unified environment for communication, project management, and data sharing—underpinned by a comprehensive data security policy that includes clear protocols for data handling, processing, and privacy.
Here, the value of an all-in-one, inherently secure software suite becomes evident. Solutions that are both affordable and designed with embedded security features empower businesses to protect critical data while facilitating efficient teamwork. Features like data classification, minimal storage of sensitive information, and built-in compliance tools ensure that security is always active—shielding organisations from complex modern threats.
Moreover, these platforms streamline communication and task management, reducing meetings considered ineffective. By providing coordination and information flow, they foster stronger collaboration and drive sustainable growth in Nigeria’s competitive market.
Building a Secure Future for Collaboration
The path to truly collaborative workplaces begins with an unshakable commitment to security. It is an investment that yields significant returns in the form of increased efficiency, stronger team cohesion, and increased stakeholder trust.
For business leaders, the mandate is clear: make security an integral, non-negotiable element of your collaboration strategy. Doing so not only protects your present operations from an increasingly hostile cyber landscape but also establishes a resilient foundation for future innovation and growth.
The future of work in Nigeria is undoubtedly collaborative. Its long-term, however, will be determined by how securely that collaboration is built and maintained.
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