SEPT. 28, 2011 • Chipmaker AMD has partnered with Cambridge, Mass start-up Happy Cloud to sign deals with makers of Internet-connected televisions to bring on-demand online distribution of console quality games to the TVs. No licensing agreements have yet been announced for Happy Cloud’s technology. The firm already has a cloud-based streaming service available to Windows PCs that has 15 video games available for instant play.

Impact: Internet connectivity sort of got lost in all of the 3D TV hype in recent years. In our view, Internet-connected televisions is the much bigger deal. Content streaming is the future, and cutting down on the plethora of set-top boxes is something that appeals to consumers. It is hard to know whether Happy Cloud’s service will be successful, but getting content to the growing number of connected TVs is going to be a huge business.