Orange makes ‘smartphone as remote’ app open
December 4, 2017
Orange is making software that turns smartphones into remote controls open source as it looks to make the technology available to other operators.
The operator’s OCast software can be added to set-top boxes to enable consumers to use a smartphone to play videos, control playback and browse content libraries on their TVs.
It said the kit was now available without licence fees to operators and developers. Deutsche Telekom is already testing OCast, Orange said.
Orange said its Viaccess-Orca subsidiary would help other operators ensure the content is offered securely.
Thierry Souche, Senior Vice President, Orange Labs Services and Group CIO at Orange, said: “The release of OCast as open source software is a milestone in Orange’s technical strategy, by enabling it to accelerate the development of the services available via its set-top boxes, and by creating a virtuous circle with other operators to create a new video services ecosystem.”