Verizon Digital Media Services announced it plans to acquire Volicon, a private Boston-area company that provides monitoring and archiving solutions for 1,200+ TV broadcasters and video operators globally. Volicon’s Observer Media Intelligence Platform allows video to be captured and logged for the purpose of compliance, media analysis, competitive intelligence, ratings monitoring, loudness, quality of experience and more.

In a call yesterday, Bob Toohey, president of Verizon Digital Media Services, zeroed in on delivery quality for online video services as the key motivator for the deal. VDMS has established itself as a leading end-to-end platform for online video providers. And as online video has evolved to become a longer-form living room experience, it must be delivered at the same quality level as traditional TV.

VDMS appears to recognize this imperative and acquiring Volicon gives it the technology to address video providers’ needs with the simplicity of a single solution. Bob noted that even the traditional definitions of what’s considered “broadcast” vs. “OTT” have blurred. From a viewer’s standpoint, quality expectations are virtually identical now.

This is true from the advertiser’s side as well. As spending moves from TV to online video and into cross-platform campaigns, advertisers will also demand video quality and monitoring. Bob emphasized that VDMS’s goal is to offer complete transparency so that video providers and advertisers have full insight into what was delivered.

Volicon’s technology will be integrated with the VDMS platform, and Bob said that all Volicon staff and offices will remain intact. In addition to the quality benefits over broadband delivery, Bob added that all of this will be equally applicable on mobile as well.

The Volicon deal is yet another reminder of how aggressive Verizon’s agenda is to be a major player in OTT infrastructure and monetization, via its acquisition of AOL (which VDMS is actually a part of). Verizon keeps adding to its technology stack, seeking to be a one-stop shop for video content providers as OTT becomes an increasingly important priority.