Synacor

In January 1998, George Chamoun and Darren Ascone, roommates at the University of Buffalo, founded Chek.com, a Buffalo-based email infrastructure provider.{{cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/blog/science-and-technology/2016/05/synacor-founder-george-chamoun-will-leave-company.html|title=Synacor founder George Chamoun will leave company later this year|first=Dan|last=Miner|newspaper=Buffalo Business First|access-date=July 17, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://whois.domaintools.com/chek.com|title=Chek.com WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info|publisher=DomainTools|quote=Creation Date: 1997-12-05T05:00:00Z|access-date=July 17, 2017}} It started as an affinity-branded free email provider, allowing users to create an email account at domains like Budweiser.com and Yankeesfan.net. Additionally, Chek.com provided a Business E-Communications product, allowing companies to outsource their email hosting to Chek.com, providing an outlet for businesses to maintain email and intranet systems internally. The stated aim of the outsourced email product was to allow smaller companies to present a professional image similar to larger, established companies.{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/successchekcom-e-mail-idea-started-in-college-students-basement-evolves-into-one-of-the-top-five-e-mail-messaging-companies-in-the-world-73292902.html|title=Success@Chek.com; E-mail Idea Started in College Students' Basement Evolves Into One of the Top|publisher=PR Newswire Association|access-date=July 17, 2017}}{{better|date=September 2017}}

Chek.com was an early adopter of the LAMP technology stack and was a major supporter of the growing PHP community; Chek.com (and later, Synacor) hosted the official PHP website for a number of years prior to it being mirrored. {{cite web|url=http://php.net/thanks.php|title=PHP: Thanks|publisher=The PHP Group|access-date=July 17, 2017}}

In 2000, Chek.com merged with MyPersonal, a San Francisco-based portal provider, to become Synacor. After the merger, Synacor started offering an extended set of products geared towards ISPs, cable companies, and telecommunications. Synacor began by hosting emails; the first such ISP was Kmart. The new agreement would provide BlueLight ISP customers with access to a 'mybluelight'-branded portal and web-based email hosted by Synacor.{{cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2001/12/03/daily30.html|title=Former Chek.com gets blue-light special|newspaper=Buffalo Business First|access-date=July 17, 2017}}

In 2003, Synacor began to offer services to small and mid-size ISPs which allowed them to provide premium online content, similar to offerings by Yahoo at the time. Synacor claimed to manage complexities such as registration, rights management, and billing that customers experienced while operating their service.{{cite web|url=https://gigaom.com/2003/03/04/synacor-to-re-sell-online-multi-media/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310103747/https://gigaom.com/2003/03/04/synacor-to-re-sell-online-multi-media/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 10, 2015|title=Synacor to Re-sell Online Multi-Media|first=Rafat|last=Ali|publisher=Gigaom|access-date=July 17, 2017}} This technology eventually became Synacor's TV Everywhere product line.{{cite web|url=http://allthingsd.com/20120906/exclusive-synacor-to-offer-tv-everywhere-authentication-via-social-ids/|title=Synacor to Offer TV Everywhere Authentication Via Social ID|first=Kara|last=Swisher|publisher=AllThingsD|access-date=July 17, 2017}} This technology also led Synacor to help shape the standards for Home-Based authentication through its long-standing participation in the Open Authentication Technology Committee (OATC) and Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).{{cite journal|first1=Anand|last1=Phatak|first2=Stuart|last2=Hoggan|first3=Peter|last3=Rosenberg|first4=Timothy|last4=Ace|first5=Brian|last5=Brinkmann|title=Authentication and Authorization Interface 1.1 Specification|date=2016|publisher=CableLabs}} Furthermore, Synacor's TV Everywhere authentication product helped contribute to Apple's SSO.{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/apple-tv-single-sign-on-pay-tv-provider-1201794563/|title=Apple TV Single Sign-In Not Supported by Every TV Operator|first=Janko|last=Roettgers|magazine=Variety|access-date=July 17, 2017}}

Synacor had originally filed an IPO in 2007 with Deutsche Bank and Bear Stearns as underwriters; however, it withdrew from filing in October 2008.{{cite web|url=https://www.pehub.com/2008/10/synacor-cancels-ipo/|title=Synacor Cancels IPO|publisher=PE Hub|access-date=July 17, 2017}} A successful IPO was filed in November 2011 and priced at the beginning of 2012.{{cite web |title=SYNACOR, INC. (SYNC) IPO |url=http://www.nasdaq.com/markets/ipos/company/synacor-inc-753286-68658 |access-date=July 17, 2017 |publisher=Nasdaq}} Synacor became a public company ({{NASDAQ|SYNC}}) with an initial public offering (IPO) of $5.00 per share. Ron Frankel, the Synacor CEO since 2001, stepped down in 2014.{{Cite web |last=Baumgartner |first=Jeff |date=2014-08-27 |title=Ron Frankel Resigns from Synacor Board |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/ron-frankel-resigns-synacor-board-133465 |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=Broadcasting Cable |language=en}}

In 2015, Synacor acquired Zimbra, an open source email, calendaring, and collaboration software suite.{{cite web |last=Nicastro |first=Dom |title=Zimbra Acquired Again, This Time by Synacor |url=http://www.cmswire.com/social-business/zimbra-acquired-again-this-time-by-synacor/ |access-date=July 17, 2017 |publisher=CMSWire.com}} In the same year, Synacor acquired NimbleTV.{{cite magazine |last=Spangler |first=Todd |title=Synacor Acquires NimbleTV, Startup That Streamed Live TV Online |url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/synacor-acquires-nimbletv-startup-that-streamed-live-tv-online-1201404977/ |magazine=Variety |access-date=July 17, 2017}} In 2016 Synacor acquired Technorati to help build their advertising business.{{Cite web |date=2016-02-23 |title=Synacor Acquires Technorati For $3 Million To Expand Its Ad Business |url=https://www.adexchanger.com/platforms/synacor-acquires-technorati-to-expand-its-ad-business/ |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=AdExchanger |language=en-US}} Also in 2016, Synacor displaced Yahoo! as the portal provider for AT&T{{cite news |last=Holm |first=Erik |title=Synacor Soars After Swiping AT&T Contract from Yahoo |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2016/05/05/synacor-soars-after-swiping-att-contract-from-yahoo/ |access-date=July 17, 2017}} and subsequently lost this business back to Yahoo! three years later in 2019. Synacor also provides authentication for HBO Go.{{cite web |last=Baumgartner |first=Jeff |title=Synacor Nets HBO Go Authentication Deal |url=http://www.multichannel.com/news/content/synacor-nets-hbo-go-authentication-deal/406888 |access-date=July 17, 2017 |publisher=Multichannel}} In February of 2020, Synacor announced a merger with the Minnesota-based Qumu Corporation. As a part of the all-stock deal, Synacor shareholders would have held a 64% ownership of the merged entity, while Qumu investors would have held 36%.{{cite news |url=https://www.buffalonews.com/2020/02/11/2831053/|title=Synacor, looking for growth, agrees to a merger|newspaper=The Buffalo News|access-date=February 13, 2020}} In June of 2020, the board of directors of both companies mutually agreed to terminate the merger prior to execution.{{cite news |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200629005800/en/|title=Synacor and Qumu Announce Mutual Termination of Merger Agreement|newspaper=Business Wire|access-date=June 29, 2020}}

The company was taken private by investment company Centre Lane Partners in 2021 and delisted from the Nasdaq Global Market.{{cite press release |url=https://www.synacor.com/investor-relations/press-releases/press-release-details/2021/Centre-Lane-Partners-Successfully-Completes-Tender-Offer-for-Shares-of-Synacor/default.aspx |title=Centre Lane Partners Successfully Completes Tender Offer for Shares of Synacor |date=March 31, 2021 |publisher=Synacor |agency=Business Wire}} In July 2021 iMedia Brands acquired Synacor's portal and advertising business.{{Cite press release |last=Inc |first=Imedia Brands |date=2021-08-03 |title=iMedia Announces Accretive Acquisition of Synacor's Portal & Advertising Business Segment |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/08/03/2273432/0/en/iMedia-Announces-Accretive-Acquisition-of-Synacor-s-Portal-Advertising-Business-Segment.html |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=GlobeNewswire News Room |language=en}} In November 2022 Synacor relocated its Buffalo headquarters from the Waterfront Village to HANSA Workspace.{{Cite web |title=Synacor relocates Buffalo HQ from Waterfront Village |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2022/11/01/synacor-employs-41-people-in-buffalo-operations.html |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Buffalo Business First}}

• [https://www.imediabrands.com/ iMedia Brands]

Category:Companies based in Buffalo, New York

Category:Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq

Category:Technology companies of the United States