Didiom
Encyclopedia
Didiom was a mobile media company that specialized in the development of streaming media
applications and wireless content delivery platforms. Built on peer-to-peer
placeshifting technology, the company’s flagship product allowed customers to stream their home computer’s audio collection to their phone wirelessly, eliminating the need for data cables and memory cards. With two million songs under its management, Didiom previously launched an on-device music store that allowed customers to name their own prices for music downloads. In February 2011, Didiom was acquired by Exclaim Mobility.
In October 2008, Didiom launched a public beta test of a hybrid mobile service that enabled BlackBerry
and Windows phone
owners to stream their iTunes
library directly from their home computer to their phone wirelessly, for free, and also to buy music from Didiom's on-device MP3 store. The majority of the music catalog that the company offered came from CD Baby
, Finetunes, and Phonofile.
In February 2010, the company concluded its beta test, shut down its MP3 store, and launched Didiom Pro, a freemium
placeshifting service, using a subscription business model
. Didiom Pro has offered a new set of mobile and desktop applications that allowed users to stream audio files from their computer to their iPhone
, iPod Touch
, BlackBerry
, or Windows phone
. The new service also enabled users to download their favorite music, podcasts and audiobooks to their mobile device wirelessly for offline listening, stream Windows Media DRM
-protected content on demand and shuffle their audio collection over 3G
or Wi-Fi
. Prior to being acquired by Princeton-based Exclaim Mobility in early 2011, Didiom's mobile applications were available for download from the App Store (iOS), BlackBerry App World
, Windows Marketplace for Mobile
, Verizon’s VCast App Store, and Samsung Apps
.
placeshifting technology since 2007. The major advantage of P2P placeshifting is that end-users share the burden of providing computing resources, such as processing power, disk storage
or network bandwidth. With cloud-based functionality and authentication
system, Didiom maintained an encrypted channel between a personal computer and phone over 3G and Wi-Fi, and eliminated the need to upload a media collection to its servers
. Regardless of the desktop media player, or the amount of storage capacity on a mobile phone, Didiom scanned a computer, and made the media collection available for wireless streaming and downloading to mobile phones. All streams were SSL encrypted for high-value transmission
s, such as online banking transactions.
Didiom's technology supported audio files in the format of DRM
-free and DRM-protected Windows Media Audio
(WMA), MP3
, WAV
, Advanced Audio Coding
(AAC), M4A and Ogg Vorbis, as well as iTunes playlists, and playlists in Windows Media Player Playlist (WPL), PLS
and M3U
formats. It did not support DRM-protected AAC files (M4P
) purchased via the iTunes Store
and audiobooks in AA format purchased via Audible.com
.
and the International Academy of the Visual Arts. Red Herring magazine named it one of North America’s top 200 private technology companies, and one of the world's top 200 private technology companies in 2010.
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
applications and wireless content delivery platforms. Built on peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
placeshifting technology, the company’s flagship product allowed customers to stream their home computer’s audio collection to their phone wirelessly, eliminating the need for data cables and memory cards. With two million songs under its management, Didiom previously launched an on-device music store that allowed customers to name their own prices for music downloads. In February 2011, Didiom was acquired by Exclaim Mobility.
History
Didiom, an acronym for “Digital Distribution Of Music”, was founded by Ran Assaf in 2005. The company has developed a cloud-based content delivery platform and launched a music download service in 2007. The independent service allowed users to shop for full-track music downloads directly from their phone, and share music with friends wirelessly. The service’s most unique feature enabled users to name their own price for songs and albums, which leveraged Didiom’s adaptive bargaining algorithm that set retail prices dynamically.In October 2008, Didiom launched a public beta test of a hybrid mobile service that enabled BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
and Windows phone
Windows Phone
Windows Phone is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, and is the successor to its Windows Mobile platform, although incompatible with it. Unlike its predecessor, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market...
owners to stream their iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
library directly from their home computer to their phone wirelessly, for free, and also to buy music from Didiom's on-device MP3 store. The majority of the music catalog that the company offered came from CD Baby
CD Baby
CD Baby is an online music store specializing in the sale of CDs and digital music downloads from independent musicians to consumers. The company is also a digital aggregator of independent music recordings, distributing content to several online digital music retailers.CD Baby has achieved recent...
, Finetunes, and Phonofile.
In February 2010, the company concluded its beta test, shut down its MP3 store, and launched Didiom Pro, a freemium
Freemium
Freemium is a business model that works by offering a product or service free of charge while charging a premium for advanced features, functionality, or related products and services...
placeshifting service, using a subscription business model
Subscription business model
The subscription business model is a business model where a customer must pay a subscription price to have access to the product/service. The model was pioneered by magazines and newspapers, but is now used by many businesses and websites....
. Didiom Pro has offered a new set of mobile and desktop applications that allowed users to stream audio files from their computer to their iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
, BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
, or Windows phone
Windows Phone
Windows Phone is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, and is the successor to its Windows Mobile platform, although incompatible with it. Unlike its predecessor, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market...
. The new service also enabled users to download their favorite music, podcasts and audiobooks to their mobile device wirelessly for offline listening, stream Windows Media DRM
Windows Media DRM
Windows Media DRM is a Digital Rights Management service for the Windows Media platform. It is designed to provide delivery of audio and/or video content over an IP network to a PC or other playback device in such a way that the distributor can control how that content is used.WMDRM includes the...
-protected content on demand and shuffle their audio collection over 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
or Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
. Prior to being acquired by Princeton-based Exclaim Mobility in early 2011, Didiom's mobile applications were available for download from the App Store (iOS), BlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World is an application distribution service and application by Research In Motion for a majority of BlackBerry devices. The service provides BlackBerry users with an environment to browse, download, and update third-party applications. The service went live on April 1, 2009...
, Windows Marketplace for Mobile
Windows Marketplace for Mobile
Windows Marketplace for Mobile is a service by Microsoft for its Windows Mobile platform that allows users to browse and download applications that have been developed by third parties. The service was available for use directly on Windows Mobile 6.x devices and on personal computers...
, Verizon’s VCast App Store, and Samsung Apps
Samsung Apps
Samsung Apps, is an application store for Samsung mobile & TV users. The store first opened in June 2010, after the company released its Samsung Wave smartphone...
.
Technology
Didiom has been developing a software-based P2PPeer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
placeshifting technology since 2007. The major advantage of P2P placeshifting is that end-users share the burden of providing computing resources, such as processing power, disk storage
Disk storage
Disk storage or disc storage is a general category of storage mechanisms, in which data are digitally recorded by various electronic, magnetic, optical, or mechanical methods on a surface layer deposited of one or more planar, round and rotating disks...
or network bandwidth. With cloud-based functionality and authentication
Authentication
Authentication is the act of confirming the truth of an attribute of a datum or entity...
system, Didiom maintained an encrypted channel between a personal computer and phone over 3G and Wi-Fi, and eliminated the need to upload a media collection to its servers
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
. Regardless of the desktop media player, or the amount of storage capacity on a mobile phone, Didiom scanned a computer, and made the media collection available for wireless streaming and downloading to mobile phones. All streams were SSL encrypted for high-value transmission
Transmission (telecommunications)
Transmission, in telecommunications, is the process of sending, propagating and receiving an analogue or digital information signal over a physical point-to-point or point-to-multipoint transmission medium, either wired, optical fiber or wireless...
s, such as online banking transactions.
Didiom's technology supported audio files in the format of DRM
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
-free and DRM-protected Windows Media Audio
Windows Media Audio
Windows Media Audio is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. The name can be used to refer to its audio file format or its audio codecs. It is a proprietary technology that forms part of the Windows Media framework. WMA consists of four distinct codecs...
(WMA), MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, WAV
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
, Advanced Audio Coding
Advanced Audio Coding
Advanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....
(AAC), M4A and Ogg Vorbis, as well as iTunes playlists, and playlists in Windows Media Player Playlist (WPL), PLS
PLS (file format)
PLS is a computer file format that stores multimedia playlists. It is a more expressive format than basic M3U, as it can store information on the song title and length...
and M3U
M3U
M3U is a computer file format that stores multimedia playlists. It is supported by many applications.An M3U file is a plain text file that specifies the locations of one or more media files. Each line carries one specification...
formats. It did not support DRM-protected AAC files (M4P
M4P
The term M4P refers to an approach in aid and development known as 'making markets work for the poor'. The approach utilises systems analysis as a means of diagnosing and addressing the constraints that face poor and disadvantages households and communities in accessing goods and services...
) purchased via the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and audiobooks in AA format purchased via Audible.com
Audible.com
Audible.com is an Internet provider of spoken audio entertainment, information, and educational programming.Audible sells digital audiobooks, radio and TV programs, and audio versions of magazines and newspapers....
.
Awards
Didiom has received multiple awards for its products, including recognition from The One ClubThe One Club
Founded in New York City as The One Club for Art & Copy, The One Club produces three annual award competitions: One Show, One Show Design, and One Show Interactive...
and the International Academy of the Visual Arts. Red Herring magazine named it one of North America’s top 200 private technology companies, and one of the world's top 200 private technology companies in 2010.