ThinkAnalytics has a new customer in the Nordics.

Online pay-TV provider Viaplay has deployed the ThinkAnalytics Ltd. cloud-based content search and recommendation engine with customers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. In addition to supporting multiple languages, ThinkAnalytics has integrated with thePlatform Inc. 's mpx video publishing system for the Scandinavian rollout.

Viaplay is using the ThinkAnalytics solution to provide intelligent search and content recommendations across multiple screens. Recommendations for Viaplay subscribers are based on personal viewing habits, content genre, overall content popularity, and more.

ThinkAnalytics uses multiple metadata sources for its recommendation engine. While the company hasn't specified its sources for the Viaplay rollout, the company did announce a deal with Tribune Media Services Inc. (TMS) late last year for international deployments. TMS is one of two dominant metadata providers in the pay-TV industry, along with Rovi Corp. (See Rovi Makes Play for World Cup.)

Recommendation engines are playing an increasingly important role in pay-TV services. Operators are focused on trying to improve content discovery for subscribers, and early evidence suggests that investments in the technology are paying off. Cox Communications Inc. , another ThinkAnalytics customer, recently shared the news that the recommendation engine in its new Contour TV program guide has boosted both on-demand viewing time and the number of channels viewers watch on average. (See New Cox Guide Boosts Viewing.)

Meanwhile, the ThinkAnalytics customer wins are starting to pile up. Fox Broadcasting Co. , Liberty Global Inc. (Nasdaq: LBTY), and Sky are just a few of the big names on that list. ThinkAnalytics is one of the few independent providers of TV recommendation engines left on the market. Competitor Jinni Media Ltd. is still successfully riding solo, but TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO) recently bought up Digitalsmiths Corp. , and Rovi extended its own capabilities when it acquired Veveo Inc. in February. (See TiVo to Acquire Digitalsmiths and Rovi Snaps Up Veveo.)

— Mari Silbey, special to Light Reading