Ericsson and Inspur Software Group, a cloud computing and big data service provider, have forged a multi-year strategic partnership to deliver innovative TV services at web speed to China.

Ericsson and Inspur will collaborate to develop a cloud enabled TV platform for operators in the burgeoning Chinese market using Ericsson’s end-to-end MediaFirst solution suite.

Shandong Cable Network, the largest operator in the Asia Pacific region and one of the largest in the world, will be the first to deploy the new TV platform in China. The new service will deliver live and on-demand TV content to 20 million subscribers in 17 cities across the Shandong Province.

Elisabetta Romano, Vice President and Head of Media Solutions, Ericsson, says: “Now, more than ever, consumers want and expect TV on their terms. A personalised, multi-screen offering is considered table-stakes for operators who want to succeed in a marketplace like China, which is home to 245 million subscribers. Together with Inspur, we see a huge opportunity to help operators to unlock this fiercely competitive market, maximise the value of their networks and transform their businesses by providing a relevant, next generation viewing experience in the fastest way. The agreement with Shandong Cable Network further strengthens our position as leading innovators in TV and media and trusted partners in China.”

Meanwhile at NAB Ericsson is launching a content discovery solution for broadcasters, offering viewers access to the likes of trailers, cast and crew information and episodic data through their television. The solution will bring together a range of data sources and applications for broadcasters.

Launch partners on the ecosystem include ColorTV, a video indexing specialist, Internet Video Archive, a content as a service provider and XroadMedia, a data services company.

Ericsson’s data hub will sit at the heart of the ecosystem, with partner data sources pre-integrated and linked across all platforms with unified IDs.

Applications will include recommendations, universal search, deep linking, rights management and analytics to enable personalised viewing experiences.

The ecosystem is also pre-integrated with the Ericsson MediaFirst solution, its suite of TV & Media products and services.

Delivered through one API, Ericsson said the resources would “provide insight and intelligence to improve consumer loyalty, and drive targeted monetisation opportunities”.

The offering comprises 14,000 sources globally with the portfolio spanning over 10 million films and programme titles.

Thorsten Sauer, Vice President and Head of Broadcast and Media Services at Ericsson, said: “The creation of our content discovery ecosystem will offer our clients everything they need to deliver viewing experiences that will have consumers coming back for more.

“Together with our network of expert partners – ColorTV, IVA and XroadMedia – we will offer a one-stop-shop to enable personalised navigation and discovery solutions across every platform and screen.”

Meanwhile, Ericsson also signed a strategic partnership with Inspur to use its MediaFirst solution suite to bring TV services at web speed to China.

Bridge Alliance members and Ericsson are also partnering to deploy Ericsson’s Unified Delivery Network across 12 countries in the Asia Pacific region.

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