More on the CoolSign-Haivision deal

November 3, 2010 by Dave Haynes

If you bump into Chris Colt this week and he looks bemused, here’s why …

Colt left CoolSign, where he was one of the three core guys driving business development and sales, to go to work for a Montreal-based IP video streaming company … called Haivision.

As of Monday morning this week, Haivision owned CoolSign. So he’s back to working with the old crew again.

The mood is very positive for all concerned, I am told, as it would seem a good fit. We’re going to see more video streaming solutions for digital signage networks (see another one today), because broadband pipes are getting fatter and compression technology is getting better and better. Streaming companies are good at what they know, but digital signage is a different animal. A streamer can either partner with or buy a software firm that has all the front-end planning and management stuff. Haivision, which was already partnering with CoolSign, took the latter approach.

The company is profitable and growing fast, and has large offices in both Montreal and Chicago.

CoolSign will be a brand within the Haivision product family, just like Furnace (Haivision acquired Video Furnace in March 2009).  The CoolSign team remains in place, but they’ll soon carry Haivision cards.

From my perspective, this is a nice move all the way around. Haivision probably got a lot of great IP (and talent) for a nice number because of CoolSign’s investor situation this year. Haivision also got more front-end capability for its technology, and easier, well-connected access into a new market.

CoolSign gets stability, a lot of new engineering capability, and more sales and marketing weight/clout to go after enterprise business. As good as a small company’s software may be, it is hard to get the attention of large companies for JUST digital signage. As part of a broader offer from a much larger, profitable and fast-growing company, it gets a lot easier.

The Haivision guys also seem to know how to market. CoolSign is already integrated into the website. As much as that seems like a forehead-slappingly obvious thing to do, that kind of thing gets missed all the time.

Congratulations Lou, Raffi, Leo, Bill et al.