thePlatform is introducing new commerce capabilities as part of its mpx video management platform today. Marty Roberts, thePlatform's SVP, Sales and Marketing, told me last week that as online video continues to mature, customers are looking to monetize content through every release window, so transactions have gained importance.

thePlatform's commerce capability allows service providers and content owners to create business rules for pay-per-use, download-to-own, season passes, movie bundles and other special promotions in addition to ad-supported and subscription models. Marty noted that the new commerce system enables complimentary monetization to electronic sell-through already available for certain titles via iTunes, Amazon and other third-parties.

One of the advantages here is that companies already using thePlatform can use the same content metadata. Policies can be configured upfront, so that as the content passes through its life-cycle of windows, it becomes automatically available however it was pre-configured. thePlatform is offering a payment processing module, or customers can use APIs which integrate with third party processors.

Marty said demand for the commerce capability is strongest in Europe, where a customer is currently implementing. A second, American customer is also implementing; thePlatform isn't able to identify either just yet.

(Note: thePlatform is a VideoNuze sponsor)