Quantum invests in NerVve to boost image search and retrieval speed

San Jose-based Quantum Corp. has announced an investment in NerVve Technologies, a private company specializing in automated video indexing and search capabilities. The new deal will help users of Quantum’s StorNext technology search and retrieve image files much faster and more efficiently.

“As higher video resolutions generate more detailed information and greater content, sifting through it all to find specific images becomes a daunting task,” said Janae Stow Lee, senior vice president of Quantum’s Filesystem and Archives. “The two technologies are designed to maximize productivity and efficiencies and enable customers to extract the most value from their video content.”

NerVve’s technology offers the ability to search through 24 hours of video in less than five minutes. It is billed as ideal for video-intensive markets such as media, entertainment, social media and government applications. Quantum showcased NerVve’s technology with StorNext last week at GEOINT 2012 in Orlando, FL.

NerVve streamlines the search of either live feeds or massive stores of video and imagery and provides notification when objects are found or an event of interest has occurred. It uses a search-by-example methodology to deliver ranked results in an easy-to-read format.

NerVve uses machine learning and computer vision algorithms that have been accelerated to perform functions with exceptional speed. The scalable software runs on readily available hardware and leverages a drag-and-drop interface to facilitate quick searches of video files.

“Quantum's StorNext software is proven to scale and perform in the most demanding video streaming environments,” said Thomas E. Slowe, CEO, NerVve Technologies. “Combining it with our ultra fast video search and index technology provides a compelling solution that delivers the speed and efficiency to effectively manage massive amounts of content.”

Quantum’s StorNext solution has been tested to scale up to 1 billion files and petabytes of data using tiered data management to deliver significant cost efficiencies and provide built-in data protection.

The companies said the combination of StorNext and NerVve technology delivers significant benefits in searching video and imagery archives, as well as real-time, full motion video footage. It can be automatically searched or monitored to recognize objects and content and alert analysts, thereby enabling forensic information gathering with improved productivity and results.

Geospatial data capture and mission data analysis also can be accelerated to effectively support ground systems and multi-point analysis.

For media and entertainment applications, embedded branding, ad placement, celebrities and athletes can be quickly located in audiences of live sporting events or large gatherings. This enables content owners to quickly log footage, adding the descriptive information that simplifies content search for editors and shortens the cycle to create new, revenue-generating content. Product images can also be easily retrieved, analyzed and contextually targeted for real-time advertising placement during news, sports and entertainment broadcasts.