Origin Digital is a media services provider that delivers music and video content on demand, and now they're working with worlds like Second Life to bring this tech to virtual worlds. There's been a lot of talk lately about the importance of having this sort of content available inside a 3D environment; that's the entire concept behind Sony's soon-to-launch (we think) Home platform for the PlayStation 3, and other virtual worlds we've been talking with lately have pegged access to music and other downloadable or streaming media in online worlds as a must-have.

An article in NJBiz says Origin's been working in Second Life to begin integrating this kind of content delivery into virtual worlds. “Second Life or any of the other virtual worlds are places where consumers congregate, communicate and get entertained,” Origin Digital CEO Darcy Lorincz tells NJBiz.

According to the article, Origin's partnered with Phoenix-based MountainMeister Media, a vendor of on-demand media for virtual worlds:

Video viewing over the Web is growing fast, according to eMarketer in New York City, a market research firm for e-business and online marketing and Internet market trends. “Video is becoming more prevalent across the Internet,” says Kris Oser, director of strategic communications for eMarketer. Expectations are high for online video, with U.S. viewers projected to grow from 114.3 million in 2006 to 183 million in 2011, according to a report by eMarketer that was released last month.

Online video is a marketing platform that, while a small source of revenue now, has the potential to rapidly expand. “It’s the fastest-growing online advertising medium,” says Oser. “It’s growing 89 percent this year. In terms of actual dollars spent, it’s from a very small base of $775 million.” Online video advertising in the United States will increase to $4.3 billion by 2011, eMarketer estimates.

Origin Digital, founded 10 years ago, is not an advertising firm, but the increased demand for video online may help drive its own expansion plans. Lorincz says the company has a staff of 32 with additional offices in Denver, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, as well as in London. He adds that the staff may expand up to 50 by next year. Lorincz says the company may generate more than $5 million this year, but he would not elaborate further nor discuss profitability. Investors in the closely held company include Constellation Ventures, part of Bear Stearns Asset Management in New York City.

[Via NJBIZ.com]