Aiming to further enhance its popular mobile app with video, leading Japanese telecommunications provider KDDI has selected the VisualOn Media Player to power video playback on its au Smart Pass service.


With its base of more than 40 million customers, KDDI has been focused on increasing its value-added ARPU and providing compelling reasons for subscribers to upgrade to 5G services. KDDI’s basic au Smart Pass provides free apps, coupons, prize-drawing, services such as cloud storage, and more since launching in 2012. au Smart Pass Premium, launched in 2017, provides even better perks to its au mobile service customers, and now has 9 million subscribers.
Streaming software provider VisualOn enables scalable, cross-platform media playback for video services. In June 2020, KDDI added video content to the Smart Pass app, utilisng the VisualOn Media Player, featuring MultiStream Sync, to provide the highest quality of service across multiple streams, allowing users to choose exactly how they want to consume video content. MultiStream Sync enables service providers to display multiple camera angles for sporting or music events synchronised on a single screen and is said to provide low latency for the best user experience.
“au Smart Pass is very popular with our customers," said Takahiro Oono, general manager of life design service business department, business and services development division at KDDI. "We are looking for ways to increase the value of the app for our users. With the launch of 5G services, streaming video was a suitable content to expand the service. Our users expect the best from us so we worked closely with VisualOn to provide a compelling, advanced video solution allowing users to experience new ways of watching video.”
“We are proud to extend our partnership a global leader like KDDI to provide a remarkable experience for their end-users across all devices,” added Michael Jones, head of product and business development of VisualOn. “We were the first streaming provider to offer a synchronised, multi-stream experience and feedback from users has been phenomenal. We allow our customers to provide a streaming video experience that is better than traditional linear broadcasts."
Streaming software provider VisualOn enables scalable, cross-platform media playback for video services. In June 2020, KDDI added video content to the Smart Pass app, utilisng the VisualOn Media Player, featuring MultiStream Sync, to provide the highest quality of service across multiple streams, allowing users to choose exactly how they want to consume video content. MultiStream Sync enables service providers to display multiple camera angles for sporting or music events synchronised on a single screen and is said to provide low latency for the best user experience.
“au Smart Pass is very popular with our customers," said Takahiro Oono, general manager of life design service business department, business and services development division at KDDI. "We are looking for ways to increase the value of the app for our users. With the launch of 5G services, streaming video was a suitable content to expand the service. Our users expect the best from us so we worked closely with VisualOn to provide a compelling, advanced video solution allowing users to experience new ways of watching video.”
“We are proud to extend our partnership a global leader like KDDI to provide a remarkable experience for their end-users across all devices,” added Michael Jones, head of product and business development of VisualOn. “We were the first streaming provider to offer a synchronised, multi-stream experience and feedback from users has been phenomenal. We allow our customers to provide a streaming video experience that is better than traditional linear broadcasts."