Will YouTube Become the Akamai of Video?

The decision to expand YouTube’s application programming interfaces is the smartest move by management since it agreed to lighten Eric Schmidt’s wallet to the tune of $1.6 billion in 2006. With the announcement, developers get more direct access to the service, while it also facilitates the proliferation of so-called “chromeless” players without the traditional YouTube interface and branding. I don’t want to get all giddy on you but this is a big deal. Instead of promoting YouTube as a destination site, this lays the groundwork for YouTube’s transformation into a video service.

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