Brightcove Tries to Rule Video World with Vendor “Alliance”

Brightcove on Monday formally launches a consortium of video service providers that are compatible with its platform. Some 80 partners in the new “Brightcove Alliance” include ad networks, social networks, social media toolmakers, mobile providers, search engines, analytics services and creative designers.

The Alliance is more plush than Brightcove’s open APIs released to developers alongside its software refresh in October — and includes support and marketing for partners. Brightcove is doing its best to be a benevolent platform. In a call with NewTeeVee, CEO Jeremy Allaire promised, “We don’t get involved in an economic relationship with third-party technology.” And in the ever competitive white-label video market, he said Brightcove is offering commissions to partners who bring in new clients.

The launch is clearly intended as a message to the video market that Brightcove is at the center of it. Allaire said Cambridge, Mass-based Brightcove has “a lot of capital,” is “very close to profitability,” and had “triple digit revenue growth this year.”

Brightcove’s early and massive fundraising — a $59.5 million Series C round back in January 2007 — have long made it a fearsome player in the enterprise video space. Now that the market’s being dragged down with the economy, it’s looking to crown itself king.

However, the Alliance isn’t all that distinctive. Competitor thePlatform made a similar announcement earlier this year, with many of the same partners.