THE PROOF
Further reading
Customer references
Midwest TEL NET Chooses TANDBERG Television iPlex™ for HDTV IPTV Service
Telco consortium leverages the industry's most advanced MPEG-4 AVC IPTV video head-end for digital video distribution.
Atlanta, October 16, 2007 - TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, today announced at Telco TV 2007 that Midwest TEL NET, a consortium of Independent Operating Companies (IOCs) throughout southwest and central Wisconsin, has selected the award-winning TANDBERG iPlex™ video processing platform to deliver high quality video to its subscribers. By providing a flexible, high density IPTV head-end with the industry's leading picture quality performance, the TANDBERG iPlex will enable Midwest TEL NET to offer consumers a number of channels in high definition (HD) video using MPEG-4 AVC video compression. 'As a global leader in the IPTV market, TANDBERG Television understood our business needs and provided us with a best-in-class compression solution that gives us a high level of video processing flexibility,' said Marty Snustead, executive director, MidWest TEL NET. 'We have been extremely pleased with the technical support we've received and look forward to working with TANDBERG Television on future initiatives.' As part of the integration, Midwest TEL NET deployed the iPlex video processing platform and a number of award-winning RX1290 Multi-Format MPEG-4/MPEG-2 SD/HD Integrated Receiver Decoders. The iPlex video processing platform is a comprehensive system with ultra-dense encoding, transcoding, processing and routing capabilities which enables any telco to easily and efficiently expand service offerings. As a result, Midwest TEL NET can quickly deliver HD video to consumers and easily expand its services in the future due to the highly flexible and scalable iPlex solution. 'TANDBERG Television is committed to providing next generation IPTV platforms that enable service providers to offer high quality programming and advanced television services,' said Ian Tapp, senior vice president of business development, TANDBERG Television, Inc. 'TANDBERG Television brings a wealth of television expertise to the telco industry, and we look forward to working with Midwest TEL NET to deliver advanced IPTV services to their subscribers.' TANDBERG Television is the leading IPTV service provider worldwide, with over 180 IPTV deployments serving more than 2 million IPTV subscribers worldwide. TANDBERG Television was recently named the IPTV global market leader for video head-ends in three out of four regions in the world by Multimedia Research Group, Inc. Since its launch in March this year, the TANDBERG iPlex has won three major industry awards. These are the IPTV World Forum's 'Best IPTV Head-end & Video Processing Technology'; an IEC InfoVision award at Broadband World Forum in Asia; and most recently a CSI Product of the Year Award at IBC for 'Best Digital Video Processing Technology'.
Sonaecom Portugal (IMS IPTV)
Ericsson signs agreement with Sonaecom for world's first trial of IMS-integrated IPTV middleware.
September 12, 2008, 10:51 (CET) Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) announced today it has signed an agreement with Portuguese triple play operator Sonaecom to provide and integrate its open, standards-based, end-to-end IPTV solution. It includes Ericsson's new IMS-based IPTV middleware and enables the operator to deliver personalized and interactive TV experiences to its subscribers. Under this Prime Integrator agreement, Ericsson will upgrade Sonaecom's IPTV system by delivering and integrating a next-generation, end-to-end IPTV solution. This will bring together Ericsson solutions including its new IMS-based IPTV middleware and network infrastructure, as well as TANDBERG Television's high-definition and standard-definition video processing platform. Deployment and trial has started. Ericsson's IPTV Middleware is the world's first solution to be pre-integrated with IMS. Its flexibility and scalability will enable Sonaecom to quickly create, test and deploy differentiated TV services in order to provide an individual entertainment and communication package for consumers that includes interactive and mobile functionality. The Ericsson IPTV ecosystem is based on open standards, designed to comply with the Open IPTV Forum specifications. José Pinto Correia, CTO, at Sonaecom, says: "Ericsson's complete solution will help us achieve our IPTV vision of bringing our customers personalized and interactive multimedia services, and provides us with the integration skills we need to deliver to consumers an individualized TV experience across multiple networks." Jan Wäreby, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Multimedia, Ericsson, says: "Creating the individual TV experience requires a combination of skills taken from the world of telecoms and television. This experience must reach wider than just television, further than just mobile, and beyond the limits of fixed-line networks. Helping operators to address this is central to Ericsson's TV solutions offering. This new IPTV ecosystem is transforming the worlds of communications and entertainment to deliver an open, carrier-class TV solution that drives the future of truly converged and blended services." Hans-Erhard Reiter, President of Ericsson Portugal, says: "The strong combination of Ericsson's IPTV offering, systems integration capabilities and local personnel will provide Sonaecom with a scalable, robust, end-to-end IMS-based solution to build its television business and offer advanced, revenue-generating services to its customers." The world's first IMS-integrated IPTV middleware will be showed at IBC on September 11-16, 2008 in Amsterdam. The Ericsson booth is at D61 in Hall 1. Based on its technology leadership and expertise in business and technology consulting, network deployment and systems integration, Ericsson is well-positioned to take on the role of prime integrator. Ericsson's standard multimedia content is available at the broadcast room: www.ericsson.com/broadcast_room Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 195 million subscribers. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices. Ericsson is advancing its vision of 'communication for all' through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27.9 billion (SEK 188 billion) in 2007. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and NASDAQ. For more information, visit www.ericsson.com or www.ericsson.mobi FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Ericsson Media Relations Phone: +46 8 719 69 92 E-mail: press.relations@ericsson.com About Ericsson IPTV Today, with more than 240 IPTV deployments worldwide, Ericsson is already providing best-in-class video experiences - matching the most demanding consumer expectations for high-quality pictures, multi-screen viewing and increasing volumes of on-demand content across any platform, to any device. About IMS Ericsson IMS is an end-to-end solution that gives operators immediate revenue opportunities when evolving to all-IP operations. It enables seamless access to a wide range of new multimedia services across both fixed and mobile networks. Ericsson's IMS solution includes a converged IMS core infrastructure, IMS based applications as well as application servers and service enablers that can be reused by multiple fixed and mobile applications. About Sonaecom Sonaecom, the Sonae Group sub-holding for the Telecommunications, Media and Software & Systems Integration (SSI) area is the most dynamic private Telecommunications group in Portugal. It develops an active role in integrated management of corresponding business units, by identifying and exploiting existing synergies and company growth potential. From company foundation in 1994 to the present date, we have surprised the market with significant operational gains, continuous improvement on a global performance level and exploitation of synergies between our companies. Nowadays, we represent a profitable, solid and self-sustained project. Our strategy is based on total focus on our Clients and the constant search for new business opportunities, which results in the elaboration of innovative proposals, aimed at the specific needs of individual Clients. This strategy has been reflected in market results, having simultaneously been recognised by the Industry. Sonaecom relentlessly pursues the creation of innovative products, services and solutions that fulfill the needs of its markets and generate superior economic value. More information available at www.sonae.com
Ericsson and Turner a perfect match
Ericsson and Turner Broadcasting System are partnering to bring multimedia content to mobile phones. The deal is an example of how mutually beneficial the multimedia business can be for telecoms and media companies.
CNN Mobile, the state-of-the-art news service launched in collaboration between Ericsson and Turner Broadcasting in March this year, is attracting users from all over the world. Already reaching more than 1 million page views per month, service usage is growing by 20 percent per month. The free-of-charge news service features 120 stories each day, ranging from breaking news to top stories on business, sports and entertainment. Users can enjoy hourly video news updates, get weather reports from more than 1000 cities worldwide and access blogs from CNN correspondents in the field. The service is available to users via the link http://cnnmobile.com. Some European operators have now started to include the link in the news category of their portals. Juergen Nagel, business manager for Turner Services at Ericsson, says top news, sports and weather are the most popular items, while users in Europe and Africa are the most active. "Besides Western Europe, the countries where the services are used most are in Africa, such as Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Even though we have not yet officially launched the service in North America, we are already attracting a lot of users from that area." The mobile news service, initially introduced in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will be launched in the Americas, Asia and Australia at a later date. CNN Mobile is only the first in a range of services developed jointly by Ericsson and Turner Broadcasting. A CNN Java client application is in final development, with more functionality and animations for a richer user experience. Next in line is the launch of a Cartoon Network portal in the UK in September, offering the likes of Scooby Doo, Tom & Jerry and The Flintstones, as well as content including ringtones, games and wallpapers. Tony Ragan, acting head of Mobile Digital Media at Turner Broadcasting, says the partnership between the two companies - combining the delivery of Turner news and entertainment content with hosting and content management technology developed by Ericsson - is an ideal match. "Ericsson is a company that has a similar global footprint to Turner's; it is just as innovative, and is looking at the future for mobile products and future-proofing those products," he says. "The collaboration with Ericsson means that we can maintain our focus on being a media company, exporting our content across different platforms. What Ericsson does is bring its technology behind that. A central hosting and delivery system provides economies of scale and it's also really valuable having a one-stop shop from a process point of view. Ericsson also has deep operator relationships on a local level -relationships that Turner and other media companies don't have. It's an ideal marriage."
TANDBERG Television Equips NBC Universal for Launch of New High Definition Channels
TANDBERG Television Equips NBC Universal’s launch of new High Definition channels marks the first US commercial use of DVB-S2 8PSK modulation designed to ensure better reception for distribution to service providers.
Atlanta, October 29th, 2007 - TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, today announced that TANDBERG Television provided a combination of compression products and managed services to NBC Universal for the launch of its new high definition (HD) channels, including Bravo HD, USA HD, Sci-Fi HD and CNBC HD, which premiered October 3rd. The deal enabled NBC Universal to expand its program offerings to cable, satellite and IPTV service providers throughout the United States. 'We benefit from a long standing relationship with TANDBERG Television and value their innovative solutions which impact how content providers can more effectively distribute programming,' said Larry C. Thaler, Vice President, Distribution Technology Media Works, NBC Universal. 'We were excited to leverage TANDBERG Television's expertise and products to deliver the highest quality HD experience for our viewers nationwide.' For the first time in the US, TANDBERG Television supplied its DVB-S2 8PSK modulators with PREKOR™ to distribute programming to service providers. The DVB-S2 modulation standard is designed to increase the throughput of a satellite transponder, or increase downlink margins for better reception. Prekor, which recently won the award for best satellite contribution/distribution/transmission solution at the Cable & Satellite International Product of the Year Awards during IBC 2007, optimizes the use of DVB-S2 8PSK modulation by pre-correcting for distortions that can greatly reduce the maximum transmitted bit rate. NBC Universal also deployed a TANDBERG system that includes MPEG-2 HD multiplexes and the TANDBERG Director network management and receiver control system. With best-in-class bandwidth performance, these market leading encoding solutions provide NBC Universal with scaleable, future-proofed solutions. In addition, TANDBERG Television also provided NBC Universal with its new Director Advantage service, a complete turnkey managed solution for the deployment of IRDs, and a multi-service decryptor fully integrated with the Director System. 'We are at the cutting edge of innovation in the broadcast industry, and are thrilled to be working with NBC Universal to deliver its exciting new HD channels,' said Al Nuñez, president of the Americas, TANDBERG Television, Inc. 'We are committed to both media companies and service providers alike to provide high quality digital video solutions that bring an enhanced television experience to the home.'
NRK viewers enjoy mobile TV
With Ericsson's assistance, NRK established an interactive mobile-TV advertising application, providing a business model that allows mobile-phone users to watch live or on-demand streamed TV programs and interact with their favorite brands or shows.
Gunnar Garfors, director of Development at NRK, says: “Consumers don’t just watch TV these days; they are watching TV, surfing the net, downloading music and chatting with friends simultaneously. Mobile TV allows them to engage and customize what they’re viewing in the same manner they have become accustomed to on the internet.” NRK is one of the biggest media companies in Norway, with several national TV and radio channels as well as major websites. Since 2000, it has been a leader in mobile content and interactive services in Europe. “Ericsson has seen our value and, from a technical standpoint, we’ve seen Ericsson’s importance. So we’ve found each other,” Garfors says. NRK has worked with Ericsson for several years. This year, both companies cooperated on a highly successful mobile-TV trial, in which advertisers successfully employed customized marketing for individual mobile-TV viewers. Advertising content spanned a variety of formats including videos, banners, ticker texts and branded downloadable content. The trial was a success, Garfors says. “We saw that … viewing time averages at about 2.5 minutes with mobile TV, but as soon as you interact with the advertisers, the banners and go into the advertisers’ portals, it increases to seven minutes,” he says. Viewing time has increased nearly threefold, and operators are clearly getting more telecom-network traffic, which means that people are using mobile TV more, he says. “In Norway we’ve learned through experience that people are keen on taking up new services. They’re curious and of course we have Ericsson as a neighbor, so we have always received advanced technology early.” And the advertisers already involved are laughing all the way to the bank.
Mobile TV tipped for Olympic glory
From a mobile-TV point of view, Swiss operator Sunrise is in a sweet spot. This year, two large sports events – the European Football Championship and the Beijing Olympics – are expected to give Sunrise’s mobile-TV service a significant boost.
From a mobile-TV point of view, Swiss operator Sunrise is in a sweet spot. This year, two large sports events – the European Football Championship and the Beijing Olympics – are expected to give Sunrise’s mobile-TV service a significant boost. Will the games, in fact, be the big chance for mobile worldwide? Since it launched mobile TV on its UMTS network in late 2005, Sunrise has seen usage increase consistently. The company’s recent adoption of a new encoding standard to enhance video quality, along with the introduction of more UMTS-capable phones, has encouraged subscribers. So have Sunrise’s mobile-TV prices: subscribers today watch 16 channels for CHF 12 (EUR 7.40) a month, Switzerland’s lowest rates. Watching for signs Still, Sunrise has not yet chosen to invest in a DVB-H broadcast network. The company has made upgrades to its UMTS/HSDPA network to accommodate the expected surge in data traffic, and plans to monitor subscriber behavior and uptake during the games, says Sunrise spokesman Konrad Stokar. “Maybe these sports events will indicate that it’s time to increase our capacity and switch to a broadcast network,” Stokar says. “We do believe the football championships and Olympics will have a positive impact.” Many industry analysts are making the same bet. The China potential In its mobile market outlook for 2008, London-based research house Analysys predicted that the sports events will “drive the mobile TV market” this year. With China launching its mobile TV service in connection with the Olympics, half a billion mobile subscribers in that nation alone will enter the market for the first time. ABI Research, a US-based research firm, believes the bulk of mobile-TV growth this year will come from Asia, and from China in particular. ABI predicts there will be 462 million mobile-TV users by 2012, up from about 24 million today. Ginny Lee, a senior analyst and wireless infrastructure expert at Current Analysis, a US-based research firm, says the Olympics, in particular, “have huge potential.” “We know that sporting events drive mobile TV,” Lee says. “People are going to want to catch segments that appeal to their national pride and tune in when their teams or their athletes are competing. And they’re going to watch the highlights.” The youth factor It’s no big mystery why sports and mobile TV go together, says Stokar of Sunrise. “Here in Switzerland, young people are quite crazy about football,” he says. “And they also happen to be the group that watches mobile TV the most.” That seems to be true also in other parts of the world. MobiTV, the mobile TV content provider, recently surveyed 3 million viewers in the United States. Four-fifths were between the ages of 18 and 39, and two-thirds were men. Sunrise at a glance Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland Business: mobile, fixed, broadband services Market: Switzerland Subscribers: 2.28 million, including 1.55 million mobile 2007 revenues: CHF 1.9 billion (EUR 1.2 billion) Founded: 1997 as Sunrise brand Owner: TDC
Video on demand in China: Fast forward
Rising incomes in the world’s most populous nation has made China a hotbed for video-on-demand (VOD). Tianjin TEDA Cable Network Co. turned to TANDBERG Television to secure a piece of this lucrative pie.
Rising incomes in the world’s most populous nation has made China a hotbed for video-on-demand (VOD). Tianjin TEDA Cable Network Co. turned to TANDBERG Television to secure a piece of this lucrative pie – one of two significant TV contracts the Ericsson company has landed in China of late. China may be a huge market, but it’s hardly alone. By 2012, more than 900 million homes worldwide will have access to VOD through IPTV and cable TV combined, according to the latest forecast by Informa Telecoms & Media, the UK-based research firm. That would equal 78 percent of the world’s TV households. Global on-demand TV revenue will more than double to USD 10 billion four years from now. While North America will generate more than half of the money stream, the Asia-Pacific region will account for more than half of all homes with access to on-demand TV, Informa projected. Since then, Vodafone Spain has amassed 150,000 mobile TV customers, and the service has grown to become the operator's most sought-after data offering. Consumers want to interact Operating as a government-owned cable-TV network, Tianjin TEDA Cable serves 50,000 subscribers in Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, a high-tech industry cluster in northeastern China. Facing stiff competition from other fixed telecom services providers, the cable operator decided to invest in VOD and network personal video recording services (nPVR). They will be rolled out in January 2009. Market surveys have shown that most cable users in the 40-square-kilometer TEDA region are interested in interactive TV, says Jia Xiaolei, vice general manager of Tianjin TEDA Cable. “We’re seeing explosive growth in the Chinese VOD-market already,” Jia notes. “We want to seize the interactive television market in order to improve our TV offering and to enhance our competitive edge. Our plan is to provide TEDA residents with the most advanced digital communications and entertainment available.” A flexible solution So Tianjin TEDA Cable is investing in TANDBERG’s Openstream® Digital Services Platform, a comprehensive open VOD solution that gives the cable operator the flexibility to use servers, billing systems and applications from suppliers of its choice. The platform is also scalable, allowing Tianjin TEDA Cable to expand the system as demand grows. Jia is convinced that many customers in his service territory will jump at the opportunity to conveniently record previously broadcast shows on the network. “The network personal video recorder, especially, will influence the viewing habits of most users,” he says. Challenge and opportunity The rise of VOD comes in response to far-reaching cultural changes that the broadcasting industry must deal with, says Adam Thomas, author of the Informa Telecoms & Media report. “A new type of viewer is emerging who is rejecting the passive model of traditional linear TV, so concepts such as VOD and DVR (Digital Video Recorder) are tipping the balance of power towards the consumer,” Thomas says TANDBERG Television also secured a deal this year with China’s Star Communication Network Technology Co. to provide on-demand TV services for customers of three cable companies in Shandong Province, a coastal region in eastern China, and in Gansu Province in the upper Yellow Valley in northwestern China. Tianjin TEDA Cable at a glance Headquarters: Tianjin, China Business: digital cable TV services Market:northeastern China Subscribers: 50,000 2007 Revenues: n/a Founded: 2005 Owners: government
Ericsson to supply mobile TV solution to Cellcom Israel
Ericsson has signed a contract with leading Israeli mobile operator Cellcom Israel to provide an end-to-end mobile TV and video solution to enable Cellcom Israel's subscribers to enjoy a true TV experience, including access to live TV channels and video-on-demand (VoD) content.
January 8, 2008, 10:00 (CET) Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has signed a contract with leading Israeli mobile operator Cellcom Israel to provide an end-to-end mobile TV and video solution to enable Cellcom Israel's subscribers to enjoy a true TV experience, including access to live TV channels and video-on-demand (VoD) content. Under the agreement, Ericsson will be the sole supplier of a mobile TV platform supporting rich media clients, a content management system and support systems for operation and customer care units. Rollout has started in December 2007, with commercial launch due during 2008. Ericsson's cutting edge mobile TV solution will provide users with a customized TV experience offering access to fast channel switching, an easy-to-use navigation menu and more advanced features. Ericsson's Mobile TV and Video solution leverages the existing cellular network to allow operators to capitalize on existing network infrastructure investments. The flexible and scalable solution can also accommodate broadcast technologies such as Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service, as they become available. Nahum Hai, Director of Advanced Services Department at Cellcom Israel, says: "This move reaffirms Cellcom Israel's leading position in the Israeli market. By partnering with Ericsson, Cellcom Israel can offer easy access to a personalized, world-class mobile TV experience." Mats Bosrup, President and CEO of Ericsson Israel, says: "Mobile TV is going from strength to strength as operators expand and leverage their networks. Ericsson's mobile TV solution will enable Cellcom Israel to offer sophisticated new services while tapping into new revenue opportunities."
Vodafone Iceland (Prime Integrator, IPTV)
Ericsson takes the prime integrator role, joining forces with established partner Vodafone Iceland, to ensure the smooth delivery of its IPTV service to the highly evolved and technologically aware Icelandic market.
Ericsson's IPTV solution chosen by Valtech
Valtech Communications Inc, a supplier of next-generation triple-play services in Canada, has chosen Ericsson's IPTV solution. Using Ericsson's IPTV technology, Valtech will be able to provide new and value-added television services to its customers.
February 10, 2008, 09:00 (CET) Valtech Communications Inc, a supplier of next-generation triple-play services in Canada, has chosen Ericsson's (NASDAQ:ERIC) IPTV solution. Using Ericsson's IPTV technology, Valtech will be able to provide new and value-added television services to its customers. The Ericsson solution consists of next-generation broadband access, multi-service edge routers, world-leading video compression, IPTV middleware, and content distribution platforms. The next-generation broadband infrastructure makes it much easier to combine data, voice and video services. The solution will enable Valtech to offer a wide range of standard, high-definition broadcast channels and interactive services. Ericsson's IPTV solution will bring personalized and interactive multimedia services that are beyond today's broadcast-TV experience. René Arbic, President of Valtech, says: "We have chosen Ericsson's solution not only because of the quality of the IPTV platform but also because of the state-of-the art components, technological partners, services capability and availability of local competence. Together, we can establish new standards for IPTV in North America and abroad." Mark Henderson, President and CEO of Ericsson Canada, says: "Ericsson's IPTV solution, including components from our companies TANDBERG Televison and Redback Networks, along with our systems-integration capabilities and local services personnel, will provide Valtech with a complete solution that provides advanced services. In addition to Ericsson's engineering excellence, Valtech was impressed by Ericsson's Quebec-based R&D and services activities and competence."
Showing how to launch mobile TV
BH Telecom, the biggest operator in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has not yet implemented 3G in its network. But they are still on the verge of launching their first mobile TV services.
BH Telecom, the biggest operator in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has not yet implemented 3G in its network. But they are still on the verge of launching their first mobile TV services. BH Telecom is not only the biggest operator in the Bosnia and Herzegovina market of about 3.8 million inhabitants; they are also the first to offer video services to their clients. Grga Mrkonjic, solution manager, Systems Integration at Ericsson Nikola Tesla in Croatia, is responsible for the project. "BH Telecom is one of the operators that are aware of the competition from GAMEY (Google, AOL, Microsoft, eBay and Yahoo), players emerging from the internet industry that are coming in fast and aiming to take a big piece of the revenues that telecom operators have been hoping to get," Mrkonjic says. BH Telecom started to build its service-layer network in 2004, a process that has now moved on to the implementation of Ericsson's Mobile TV & Video solution (ECDS 3.0). This step makes BH Telecom one of the first operators in the region ready to offer video content and mobile TV to its customers. This is despite the fact BH Telecom is yet to implement 3G in its network. His colleague Ivan Lupic, Ericsson Mobility World manager for Market Unit Central Europe and section manager, IMS in the mobile TV project for BH Telecom, says: "This is a very good example of how to do things in the right order. Starting with this now allows the customer to be up and running the day they get 3G fully implemented in their network. A big mistake many companies have made is to first build the pipe, then waste a lot of time looking for services to put in it." In the near future, BH Telecom will be able to offer its customers, both within their digital and circuit-switched networks, the option to watch TV programs and video clips. The next step could be video games and other services. And BH Telecom has already begun to open its network to new business collaborations with external content and application providers. Mrkonjic says: "They have also implemented Ericsson's service delivery platform solution and integrating that with ECDS 3.0 enables them to start experimenting with new content and video services. "Starting with the streaming of video services at an early stage and on a small scale is also a good way to try out different business models, to build up experience and knowledge within the company and continue exploring how the multimedia market can be developed in their region. Because they are the first operator in the country to offer video services, this also puts them ahead of their competitors." If in the future BH Telecom chooses to go with IMS, the technology, business systems and many of the functions from the 3G upgrade can be reused. Lupic says: "To become more than just a provider of voice and a pipe for data traffic will take some time. A whole new ecosystem of companies from different industries has to be created, starting with contacts and collaborations within the media and entertainment industries. The sooner an operator starts working in this new ecosystem, the sooner they will start making money from new services on the market."
Ericsson to deliver a turn key, IPTV solution to Greek telecom operator OTE
Ericsson has been selected to act as end-to-end IPTV systems integrator, solution provider and business consultant for tier one Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE SA).
March 12, 2008, 07:00 (CET) Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has been selected to act as end-to-end IPTV systems integrator, solution provider and business consultant for tier one Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE SA). The integrated IPTV solution for OTE comprises of headend systems from Tandberg Television, part of the Ericsson group, middleware application, content distribution platform and a customized and flexible consumer portal. The solution will also involve complete implementation and integration of tools for operational management. Ericsson was chosen for its proven ability to deliver a complete IPTV solution that meets the market demands. The IPTV solution will enable OTE to offer new and sophisticated services to its consumers. The initial offer will include a wide variety of broadcast channels, video on demand, electronic program guide, and personal video recorder capabilities. Jan Wäreby, head of Ericsson's multimedia business, says: "We are proud that OTE has chosen Ericsson. This is a major step for Ericsson and OTE in the new multimedia arena, where IPTV is playing a key role." Ericsson offers an end-to-end IPTV solution consisting of IPTV middleware, video on demand, network-based PVR, IPTV headends, content protection, IPTV infrastructure, systems integration and IPTV applications such as games. Ericsson has to date signed more than 180 IPTV contracts. Those include commercial contracts, trials, IPTV System Integration projects, IPTV headend contracts and IPTV infrastructure contracts for access, metro transport and IP Edge.
du Deploys TANDBERG iPlex Encoding and Transcoding for IPTV Expansion
TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, today announced that its award-winning iPlex™ UltraCompression IPTV video processing and transcoding system has been selected by du, the Dubai-based telco, as the head-end for its IPTV services. du is the United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s newest telecommunications company, launched in February 2007, already amassing over 1.5 million customers.
Southampton, UK - 5th March 2008 TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, today announced that its award-winning iPlex™ UltraCompression IPTV video processing and transcoding system has been selected by du, the Dubai-based telco, as the head-end for its IPTV services. du is the United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s newest telecommunications company, launched in February 2007, already amassing over 1.5 million customers. The innovative multilingual du IPTV service offers TV channels from the UAE and around the world, catering to the tastes of different nationalities and cultures. du offers more than 15 Premium TV packages, in 18 different languages from content aggregators and providers worldwide, providing UAE's consumers with a wide choice of TV programming, including live sporting events, from around the world. TANDBERG Television's broadcast expertise and its award-winning iPlex UltraCompression high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) video processing and transcoding system provides du with a range of advanced features including bandwidth savings, industry leading density and improved picture quality. 'We are deploying TANDBERG Television's best-in-class technology to enable the expansion of du's IPTV service and continuously improve its quality, while still maintaining flexibility and efficiency,' said Osman Sultan, CEO, du. 'We are pleased to be able to draw upon TANDBERG Television's deep understanding of IPTV, as well as its advanced solutions. This will enable us to optimize the bandwidth requirements for delivering television over our Ethernet-to-the-home network, whilst still maintaining the high picture quality that our customers demand.' The iPlex UltraCompression HD and SD IPTV head-end is based on TANDBERG Television's next-generation AVC platform and provides a step change in digital video distribution by combining the broadest choice of density and enhanced features with the industry's leading picture quality/performance. A flexible video processing platform that offers the industry's most complete IPTV head-end solution, the TANDBERG iPlex includes MPEG-2 SD encoding, MPEG-4 AVC HD and SD encoding, MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 transcoding, MPEG-2 transrating, and picture-in-picture (PIP) service generation in a high density, NEBS-certified, telco-designed chassis. 'du is an innovative, forward thinking telco, that has acquired an impressive customer base since its launch last year. We are pleased to be increasing our presence in the UAE with such a pioneering customer,' said Eric Baron, President of TANDBERG Television EMEA. 'Our next-generation iPlex IPTV head-end will enable du to benefit from advanced solutions such as increased density, improved bandwidth management and enhanced picture quality, while at the same time future-proofing their infrastructure with features such as transcoding and a simple upgrade path to HD.' Since its launch in 2007, the iPlex UltraCompression has won a number of major industry awards, demonstrating the value it delivers to telcos. It received 'Best IPTV Head-end & Video Processing Technology' at the IPTV World Forum 2007; an IEC InfoVision Award at BBWF Asia; a CSI Product of the Year Award at IBC for 'Best Digital Video Processing Technology' and an IEC InfoVision Award at BBWF Europe.
Dialog brings mobile TV to market
Ericsson helps Dialog develop its streaming solution into a scalable and feature-rich mobile-TV platform.
Dialog Telekom operates Dialog GSM, Sri Lanka's largest mobile phone network. It is a subsidiary of the Telekom Malaysia Group. Dialog was offering a video-streaming and download service to its customers as a standard GPRS service. With the commercial launch of its 3G network, the operator was very eager to bring a highly scalable and feature-rich mobile TV offering to its customers. But Dialog faced challenges in scalability and had difficulty charging customers for the services they were consuming. The operator was in a dilemma. Should it invest further in its existing platform by adding functionalities through internal software development efforts - or should it go for a standard business solution such as Ericsson’s Mobile TV & Video solution? Ericsson started a consultative approach by analyzing the gaps needed to fulfill the mobile TV requirement. Ericsson mobile TV solution was then presented to Dialog. Features such as subscriber- and content management, a faster channel selector, and flexible charging capabilities from Ericsson were well-perceived and accepted by the operator. To start with, Dialog is migrating its existing TV channel offering to the Ericsson Content Delivery system (ECDS). Ericsson Mobile TV solution lets Dialog provide premium services to its customer, and to charge accordingly. Ericsson is now working with Dialog to add a few more interesting features such as mobile TV client downloads to mobile phones, subscription services, and circuit-switched streaming for 3G consumers.
TANDBERG Television's OpenStream Powers Hybrid IPTV/Cable VOD Services for Multimedia Polska
TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, announced that its OpenStream® Digital Services platform has been fully deployed by Multimedia Polska to power its entire on-demand (VOD) services. Multimedia Polska has over 600,000 customers and is one of the leading Polish providers of triple-play, combining hybrid cable/IPTV television, broadband internet and fixed-line telephony in a single package.
Southampton, UK - 10th March, 2008 TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, today announced that its OpenStream® Digital Services platform has been fully deployed by Multimedia Polska to power its entire on-demand (VOD) services. Multimedia Polska has over 600,000 customers and is one of the leading Polish providers of triple-play, combining hybrid cable/IPTV television, broadband internet and fixed-line telephony in a single package. The VOD service is a critical part of the Polish operator's deployment of a major, advanced multimedia offering. Programming includes a broad line up of movies, sports and entertainment and is available either via free, subscription, transaction or 'time-shift/catch-up' services. Multimedia Polska also launched a HDTV offering last year using TANDBERG Television encoding and future plans will see the operator introduce more advanced, revenue generating services such as mobile TV. "Our on-demand platform is a major part of our vision for an advanced media service for Poland. We were the first Polish operator to launch digital television services for our telephony subscribers and we are now in a position to be innovators in the Polish VOD market," says Bartlomiej Kasinski, Strategy and Development Director, Multimedia Polska. "We chose TANDBERG Television's OpenStream platform because it provides the interoperability with third party products that we require and seamless support for our middleware system. Flexibility is a key factor and OpenStream's open architecture will enable us to benefit from a multi-vendor environment and provide a firm foundation for our interactive, consumer-focused service." As part of the contract TANDBERG Television has provided its Xport® on-demand content production software system, as well as its OpenStream back office. The deal builds on TANDBERG Television's leadership position in the on-demand market. With five OpenStream systems already deployed in Europe, including UPC Netherlands, TANDBERG Television has rapidly become the European market leader in on-demand back office solutions. In addition, OpenStream is the leading open digital services platform in North America and has multiple deployments in Asia, including Oriental Cable Network (OCN) in Shanghai. "We are delighted that our OpenStream platform is enabling another milestone roll-out of VOD services. Multimedia Polska's vision for an extensive media system for Poland reflects its own fast growth and vibrancy and we are proud to be part of that development," says Eric Baron, President of TANDBERG Television EMEA. "Given the highly competitive nature of the television and multimedia market and the increasing constraints on capital, it was vital that we could provide Multimedia Polska with a cost-effective method of rolling out revenue generating on-demand services. OpenStream allows flexibility, scalability and the lowest possible total cost of ownership without sacrificing performance, security or freedom of choice." The OpenStream Digital Services Platform The industry's leading open standards based solution, OpenStream offers operators the flexibility of using servers, applications, billing systems, and other system components of their choice. The platform currently delivers on-demand streams to more than 60 US markets reaching over 15 million digital subscribers. Top operators who have commercially deployed the OpenStream platform include Comcast, Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable and UPC. OpenStream was also selected as the platform of choice for the small to mid-size market by National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), which represents over 1,000 independent cable operators serving more than 14 million subscribers nationwide.
Ericsson has signed the first GPON contract in Europe with CYTA in Cyprus
Ericsson and CYTA, the leading operator in Cyprus, have signed a contract for a Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) network based on Ericsson's GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) solution.
July 11, 2007, 11:00 (CET) Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and CYTA, the leading operator in Cyprus, have signed a contract for a Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) network based on Ericsson's GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) solution. CYTA has started to provide advanced broadband services, such as High Definition TV (up to two channels per home), games, on-demand services, Voice over IP (VoIP) while there is also the option of Surveillance and Security services. Nikos Timotheou, CEO, CYTA, says: "With this pilot project, CYTA proves once again its commitment to offer high quality broadband services to our customers, using innovative technology. In this effort, Ericsson, with their leading global experience and expertise combined with their local commitment, is our valuable partner." Spyros Nikolaou, Country Manager Ericsson Greece, Cyprus, Albania & Malta says: "This agreement confirms Ericsson as partner of choice for CYTA to provide users innovative services to any device, anywhere and with the maximum convenience. We are proud to be the partner, providing solutions that support a Full Service Broadband strategy, today and in the future." The contract includes delivery of central office optical equipment and devices for the homes, EDA1200 and EDA1500, and passive infrastructure such as fiber systems and cables. Apart from the GPON network (point-to-multipoint configuration), the pilot project includes also a point-to-point network, using Ericsson's equipment (switches and CPEs). The contract also encompasses a comprehensive portfolio of Services, such as education and knowledge transfer, business consultancy, network design and supervision.
