Brightcove App Cloud Goes Public, Offers Unified App Development

Brightcove introduced its App Cloud platform in private beta back in March of this year, offering a single platform for creating apps that run on Apple iOS and Google Android devices, as well as managing distribution, analytics, advertising, and content.

Keeping good on its word to make the platform publicly available by the end of the year, Brightcove announced App Cloud general availability this morning.

Working with App Cloud, developers create templates with HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and the App Cloud SDK (software development kit). Templates can be built to deliver needed functionality and convey brand identity. The SDK includes JavaScript APIs for accessing a device's camera, alert system, accelerometer, and location awareness.

The bundled cloud services let developers modify content feeds, appearance, and ad options without resubmitting new versions of the app. They also optimize content for various devices, transcode images, and deliver real-time analytics. Developers can even "sunset" an app when it's obsolete, prompting the user to upgrade or perform some other action.

App Cloud is available in both free and paid versions. The free version is for testing, and lets a single user build and test an unlimited number of apps. The paid Enterprise Edition is for collaborative team use and starts at $15,000.

"The App Cloud beta program has been very well received over the past few months, and we have been impressed by the quality, breadth, and creativity of the apps developed by our beta users," says Ashley Streb, vice president of technology at Brightcove. "Now, any organization can take advantage of App Cloud to easily build, deliver, and manage dynamic, custom content apps across multiple devices for a superior end-user experience."

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net