InterVideo

InterVideo was a software publisher founded in 1998 and headquartered in Fremont, California. It developed and marketed consumer and OEM multimedia software for capturing, editing, authoring, recording, and playing digital video and optical-disc content. Its best-known product was WinDVD, a software DVD player that became widely distributed through both retail sales and bundling arrangements with computer and hardware manufacturers. The company operated during a period when personal computers were rapidly becoming home entertainment platforms. As DVD drives, digital cameras, camcorders, writable CDs and DVDs, portable media players, and other multimedia devices became more common, InterVideo supplied applications intended to help users create, manage, and consume digital media. Its product portfolio extended beyond playback into video capture, video editing, DVD authoring, and CD/DVD recording, giving the company a broader multimedia-software position than a single-product DVD player specialist. InterVideo also maintained a HandHeld Business Unit. That group focused on multimedia software for mobile and embedded hardware, including smartphones, GPS devices, and portable entertainment products. Its technology was incorporated into products made by a range of hardware partners, reflecting the importance of OEM distribution to the company's business model. InterVideo became a publicly traded company on Nasdaq under the ticker IVII. In August 2005, it acquired Ulead Systems for approximately $68 million. Ulead was another established multimedia-software developer, and the transaction expanded InterVideo's portfolio and capabilities. In July 2006, InterVideo announced a formal merger with Ulead. The company's independent existence ended after Corel Corporation agreed to acquire it. Corel announced the proposed transaction in August 2006 for approximately $196 million, and announced its completion on December 12, 2006. Following the acquisition, the InterVideo brand was retired. Former InterVideo products were subsequently marketed under the Corel or Ulead names. InterVideo is therefore a defunct software-company brand whose principal legacy is associated with WinDVD and with the consolidation of consumer multimedia software businesses in the mid-2000s.

InterVideo was established in 1998 in Fremont, California, as a developer and publisher of multimedia software. Its business developed alongside the expansion of DVD-equipped personal computers and the wider adoption of digital video. The company produced software for several stages of the consumer media workflow, including video capture, editing, DVD authoring, optical-disc recording, and video playback. Its most recognizable product was WinDVD, a software DVD player distributed through retail channels and through original-equipment manufacturers. OEM distribution allowed the application to reach users bundled with computers and related hardware, while retail sales positioned it as a standalone multimedia utility. InterVideo's product range indicated an effort to serve both consumers and hardware partners rather than relying exclusively on one application category. The company also developed a HandHeld Business Unit for mobile and embedded multimedia. This unit supplied technology for smartphones, GPS navigation devices, portable entertainment players, and other specialized hardware. The use of InterVideo technology in partner products extended the company beyond the conventional desktop-software market and reflected the increasing convergence of computing, navigation, and portable entertainment devices. InterVideo became publicly traded on Nasdaq under the symbol IVII. Its corporate development later centered on consolidation within the multimedia-software sector. On August 13, 2005, InterVideo acquired Ulead Systems for approximately $68 million. Ulead was known for multimedia applications, and the acquisition added products and technical capabilities to InterVideo's business. On July 9, 2006, InterVideo announced a formal merger with Ulead, further aligning the two organizations. The next major transition came when Corel Corporation announced on August 28, 2006, that it would acquire InterVideo for approximately $196 million. Corel subsequently announced on December 12, 2006, that the acquisition of InterVideo and Ulead had been completed. The transaction ended InterVideo's independent corporate identity. Corel retired the InterVideo brand, while former InterVideo products continued under the Corel or Ulead names. InterVideo's historical importance lies primarily in its role as a multimedia-software publisher during the DVD and early digital-media era. WinDVD was its most visible product, but the broader business included authoring, editing, recording, capture, and embedded-device technologies. Its acquisition by Corel, following the Ulead transaction, illustrates the consolidation of consumer software companies as larger vendors assembled integrated multimedia portfolios.

1. 2006Formal Ulead merger announced

   InterVideo announces a formal merger with Ulead Systems.

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2. 2006Corel acquisition announced

   Corel announces an agreement to acquire InterVideo for approximately $196 million.

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3. 2006Acquisition completed and brand retired

   Corel completes the acquisition of InterVideo and Ulead and retires the InterVideo brand.

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4. 2005Acquisition of Ulead Systems

   InterVideo acquires Ulead Systems for approximately $68 million.

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5. 1998InterVideo is founded

   InterVideo is founded in Fremont, California, as a multimedia-software publisher.

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Consumer and OEM multimedia software publisher focused on digital video playback, creation, authoring, and optical-disc recording, with an additional presence in embedded and handheld-device software.

• WinDVDDVD and video playback software

  WinDVD was InterVideo's best-known product and a software application for playing DVD and other video content on personal computers. It was sold directly through retail channels and distributed in bundled form with OEM hardware. The product gave InterVideo a highly visible position in the consumer multimedia market during the period when DVD playback on PCs was expanding.

• InterVideo video editing and capture softwareVideo capture and editing

  InterVideo developed applications for capturing and editing video, supporting the broader transition from analog and disc-based media workflows to digital video production on personal computers. These tools complemented the company's playback and authoring products.

• InterVideo DVD authoring softwareDVD authoring

  The company's DVD-authoring products enabled users to organize video content and create playable optical discs. They formed part of InterVideo's integrated multimedia portfolio alongside capture, editing, playback, and disc-recording applications.

• HandHeld Business Unit softwareEmbedded and mobile multimedia software

  InterVideo's HandHeld Business Unit supplied multimedia technology for embedded and portable devices, including smartphones, GPS units, and portable entertainment players. The software was incorporated into products made by hardware partners.

• 2006Accept Corel acquisitionM&A

  Corel sought to expand its multimedia-software portfolio through the combination of InterVideo and Ulead.

  What changed. Corel announced an agreement to acquire InterVideo for approximately $196 million.

  Aftermath. The acquisition was completed in December 2006. The InterVideo brand was retired, and former products were marketed under Corel or Ulead.

  Acquisition price. Approximately $196 million (2006)

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• 2005Acquire Ulead SystemsM&A

  InterVideo operated in a competitive multimedia-software market and sought to broaden its product and technology portfolio.

  What changed. InterVideo acquired Ulead Systems for approximately $68 million.

  Aftermath. InterVideo and Ulead later announced a formal merger, preceding their eventual acquisition by Corel.

  Acquisition price. Approximately $68 million (2005)

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• 2006InterVideo announces formal merger with Ulead

  InterVideo announced a formal merger with Ulead Systems as the two multimedia-software businesses were integrated.

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• 2006Corel announces agreement to acquire InterVideo

  Corel Corporation announced plans to acquire InterVideo in a transaction reported at approximately $196 million.

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• 2006Corel completes acquisition and retires the InterVideo brand

  Corel announced that its acquisition of InterVideo and Ulead had been completed. The InterVideo name was retired, and its products were subsequently marketed under Corel or Ulead.

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• 2005InterVideo acquires Ulead Systems

  InterVideo acquired Ulead Systems in a transaction reported at approximately $68 million, broadening its multimedia-software portfolio.

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1. InterVideo