Nagra, abertis telecom partner for multi-screen cloud service
February 28, 2012
Content protection and multiscreen television solutions provider Nagra has formed a strategic partnership with Spanish infrastructure and telecommunications services firm abertis telecom to launch a cloud-based service aimed at pay-TV service providers and free-to-air broadcasters seeking to deploy affordable multiscreen television with fast time-to-market. The service claims it is setting a new benchmark in the area of cloud-based television putting multiscreen capabilities within every service provider’s and broadcaster’s reach.
“This new service is a unique opportunity for pay-TV service providers and broadcasters to deploy any kind of content and programming, whether live or on-demand, quickly and seamlessly to any device,” said Jean-Michel Puiatti, VP Sales Operations and Development at Nagra. “Multiscreen is here to stay and now any service provider wishing to bring multiscreen services to their customers can make it a reality through a cloud-based solution that is backed by proven components on both the Nagra and abertis telecom sides – and that brings new revenue opportunities along with it.”
For pay-TV service providers, the cloud-based service will enable the fast and effective launch of live and on-demand over-the-top (OTT) services on any device such as PCs or laptops, set-top-boxes, connected TVs, smartphones and tablets. The pair suggests the featured scaling service that matches subscriber growth, will enable service providers not only to reduce churn, but gain new subscribers while paying as they grow.
For Free-To-Air broadcasters, the cloud-based service is presented as an opportunity to consolidate their existing advertising-based business model and rapidly enrich it with complementary broadband services while ensuring viewer loyalty through interactivity and HbbTV technology: the new service is the cornerstone of the EBU’s initiative to offer its members generic applications to deploy Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) during the Olympics and the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), when audiences peak.
Three ‘white label’ interactive applications will be provided to participating EBU Members to customise generic content for entertainment, news or sport. The applications will provide a basic level of hybrid interactivity to promote the adoption of HbbTV, which combines traditional viewing with the added value of the Internet and smart device applications.
The first multiscreen deployments utilising the Nagra-abertis telecom cloud-based service are expected to launch in the first quarter of 2012.