NEOTION, a French company focused on innovation and development of secure solutions for Pay-Tv Operators (broadcast and telecommunications) as well as the FTA (Free-to-Air) market, will be unveiling its new NEOTION Blue Bridge technology at IBC 2012. This complete innovative solution creates a secure wireless link between television and smartphones or tablets, allowing the introduction of new services –TV apps– combining simultaneous use of television and mobiles. The Blue Bridge system can be perfectly integrated into multiple interfaces such as a CAM, STB or even USB dongle. During IBC NEOTION will be presenting a solution based on CI Plus CAM’s (Conditional Access Modules), as a leading CAM innovator and manufacturer but will also be announcing versions for set-top boxes using an integrated solution and a USB dongle for deployment in 2013 to address the legacy market.

NEOTION continues to innovate and is now unveiling its BLUE BRIDGE technology, a secure wireless synchronised communication platform between television and mobile devices (smartphones or tablets), which allows the emergence of new services in the form of TV apps. This new technology innovation is a result of the convergence of two factors:- The strong growth in smartphones (+67 per cent in Europe in 2011) and tablet (115 million units sold in 2012),- The fact that TV viewers are increasingly watching television with smartphones in hand or tablets balanced on their knees.

NEOTION Blue Bridge is first and foremost a wireless link which allows the two screens to exchange data in a secure manner. This solution allows data to be extracted from TV streams and to generate information from an interactive television application for transmission to the second screen. Since this link is bidirectional, the mobile device can also transmit information to the television in the opposite direction. Finally, NEOTION Blue Bridge technology allows a television to connect to the internet using the mobile device’s internet connection, providing a connected TV without the need for an Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi router.

The NEOTION Blue Bridge chipset at the heart of this product solution does more than simply manage wireless communications: it also includes advanced security features and functions which together provide a unique solution for multiple applications and services. The new NEOTION Blue Bridge technology offers TV channels a way to publish new services but also to securing communications with a second screen which itself is connected to the internet; Blue Bridge implements tried-and-tested solutions which protect the audience from hijacked uses beyond the channel’s control. In addition, some applications require a time signature, a precise noting of the time which must be exact, authenticated and protected: Neotion’s Blue Bridge can also provide services with a time stamp. All these security functions and features result from the wealth of expertise and technology innovation driven by Neotion.

The value of this product also lies in the ability to integrate NEOTION’s Blue Bridge into TV channels’ own ecosystems; these channels have large experience in creating and compiling TV programmes, a very close relationship with advertisers and also the ability to create new, innovative and attractive TV apps which will encourage their particular audience to sit in front of the television screen and navigate their services within the channel’s environment but by using their smartphones or tablets.

At IBC, NEOTION will be presenting sample TV apps running on the NEOTION Blue Bridge platform:
– ‘Watch 2 Cash’ TV couponing solution: the TV receives and displays discount coupons, broadcast along the, advert stream which the user then validates and acquires using the TV remote control or directly onto their smartphone or tablet.
– 13 400 Aubagne – FRANCE2- ‘HBB Tablet’ solution for navigating HbbTV content on a tablet: this solution allows viewers to use a tablet to navigatewithin HbbTV services associated with TV channels, without owning a compatible HbbTV television! EPG and VOD services are redirected onto the tablets that are used to display the contents and offer new possible interactions with the television.

– ‘Blue Bridge Pay’ pay-per-view solution via a mobile device: the companion device, connected to the TV by a secure wireless link, allows viewers to purchase and transfer pay-per-view rights on live TV channels or for VOD offers. This content, broadcast via the television is synchronised to ensure continuous streaming ‘accurate to within a frame’ on the second screen, tablet or smartphone when the rights are transferred to the companion mobile device.

– ‘Blue Bridge Social TV’, a simplified solution for publishing information and comments on social networks, synchronised with the broadcast content, from a TV not connected to the internet. Bruno Berthier, VP Innovation & Strategy at NEOTION, announces: ‘we have now spent 18 months working on the Blue Bridge project, which moreover was partially unveiled at IBC in 2011 with a demonstration of services based on NFC and GSM CAMs.Our complete solution is now ready to be presented to our customers and partners, and covers not only CAMs but also STBs an deven USB dongles. We have many innovative ideas for such services and would be very happy to discuss and tailor solutions to the individual needs of operators, both from a technology view and ideas for maximising value and generating new revenue from the NEOTION Blue Bridge solution.’Gregory Wieczorek, CEO of NEOTION, adds: ‘NEOTION Blue Bridge represents a shift for Neotion, as we are expanding our offering to include other technologies as well as CAM’s by combining technological products and services. In doing so we rely onour teams’ security expertise and on our privileged relationship with Operators and CAS partners who are keen to obtain a solution allowing them to enable and exploit second screen usage with television usage but with the ability to secure and control this connection. This combination of television and second screen usage through our Blue Bridge solution is aninnovative development which will enable new advertising and services revenue generation for Broadcasters and Operators as well as user friendly apps, payment solutions and benefits for the user/consumer. The Blue Bridge solution is a truly disruptive technology bringing the couponing world to the linear television, enabling real audience measurement, tele-voting and much more.’

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