Conax, the Telenor-owned conditional access company, has selected TiVo
technology for its ‘next generation’ of set-top boxes.
A joint statement said: “This relationship brings together two companies
known for changing traditional approaches to pay television.
TiVo is the gold standard for the delivery of advanced television services
through an intuitive, stunning user interface, while Conax’s multi-platform
security technology forms the underpinning of television services delivered to
operators covering over 100 million households in over 80 countries.
Through this partnership, the companies will put the TiVo experience,
including its revolutionary integration of IP-delivered video into an
off-the-shelf package that can be quickly and easily deployed by operators
using Conax-certified platforms in Scandinavia, mainland Europe and India,
among other geographies.
All of this can be done without having to endure a cumbersome, costly
middleware deployment that could slow progress and hinder business
objectives.”
Geir Bjørndal, EVP Products & Markets at Conax, said: “While the
European market is ripe for VOD and other interactive services, many operators
are stifled by the expensive integration efforts needed to convert roadmaps
into reality.
TiVo has a phenomenal reputation in the US, not only for inventing the PVR,
but for creating the market’s most comprehensive hybrid broadcast/broadband
platform.
They are the only player that has successfully integrated top-tier content
from diverse Internet sources like Netflix, Blockbuster, YouTube, and Amazon
VOD along with linear television into a single, vivid user interface already
available to consumers in the United States.
Our European customers have made clear that they plan to deploy similar
capabilities and we can’t imagine a better technology partner than TiVo to help
us make it happen, and strengthen our competitive market position.”
Bjørndal added that interest in the new solution is already high from key
customers connected to TV operations that include security provided by
Conax.
Integrating TiVo’s software with Conax security solutions will reduce
certain hardware costs and also allow for deeper assimilation of security
within the new platform.
Conax’s growth has been significant during recent years primarily due to its
open standards STB approach, providing a wide selection of certified consumer
hardware devices.
The new strategy will leverage TiVo’s strong brand and more than 10 years of
expertise developing advanced television platforms.
Joshua Danovitz, VP/GM International, TiVo, said: “Conax has amassed a
stellar record for helping its customers quickly launch new services in a
variety of environments without major startup complexity.
“Its broad portfolio of set-top box and pay television partners is testament
to the value of this approach.
“We are very enthusiastic about this new relationship with Conax,
particularly because it means operators will soon be able to distribute a
highly differentiated, next generation user interface that applies TiVo’s
leadership in marrying broadband delivered content with the traditional
television experience.”
Austrian public broadcaster ORF and pay-TV operator Sky Deutschland,
which covers Germany and Austria, have managed to keep the TV rights for
Austria’s domestic soccer league Bundesliga. The league signed a new 3-year
contract with both broadcasters starting at the 2010/11 season.
