(17 January 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: The cofounders of the Internet telephone service Skype have unveiled the brand name and details of their latest project. This is a new Internet-based television service called Joost.

The Venice Project has revealed its official brand, Joost. Currently available in private beta testing, Joost combines TV and the Internet by offering viewers a TV-like experience enhanced with the choice, control and flexibility of web 2.0.

Joost is looking to fill a gap in the online video entertainment arena. Joost claims to be powered by a secure, efficient, piracy-proof Internet platform that enables premium interactive video experiences while guaranteeing copyright protection for content owners and creators.

Joost CEO Fredrik de Wahl says, "People are looking for increased choice and flexibility in their TV experience, while the entertainment industry needs to retain control over their content. With Joost, we’ve married that consumer desire with the industry’s interests."

Joost is the first global TV distribution platform, bringing together advertisers, content owners and viewers in an interactive, community-driven environment. Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and offers broadcast-quality content to viewers for free.

de Wahl says, "We have received positive and constructive feedback from our early beta-testers and are now at a stage where we’re ready to reveal our true brand. The Joost name has global appeal, embodies fun and energy, and will come to define the ’best of TV and the best of the Internet’".