Cheseaux, Switzerland and Paris, France – September 22nd, 2009 — Numericable has chosen Nagravision's – a Kudelski Group company – widget platform for the launch of its "Widget TV" service on its network. Widgets will allow Numericable customers to interact with their TV and build a genuine social network as part of their TV experience.
The partnership between the Kudelski Group and Numericable will also translate into the introduction in 2010 of a new "SDV" technology enabling the use of an increasing number of channels thanks to the multicast broadcasting technology.
TV widgets: an innovative concept based on TV 2.0
TV widgets symbolize TV 2.0. A widget is a small, easy-to-use software application that lets consumers interact with online information in a graphically appealing way. It creates a targeted and familiar environment with recommendation of relevant data for consumers making them more likely to return to a certain service of interest.
Numericable will in particular offer the "MyTV" widget that will make it possible to send program alerts to friends. Subsequently, Numericable subscribers will be able to choose widgets from a large gallery including live and on-demand recommendation widgets as well as widgets allowing them to share videos and track their updates from online social networks.
Nagravision's widget platform will allow Numericable to work together with content providers and software application developers in order to develop innovative services in relation with the content being viewed or addressing specific consumer needs. The widget platform will be open and will encourage external developments as does the Apple Store.
Nagravision will support Numericable with its complete software suite based on the NAGRA Media Widget platform that includes a set score of available widgets organized in a store controlled by Numericable. The platform also includes the NAGRA Media widget STUDIO, a powerful service publishing tool that gives operators and their partners the ability to create custom libraries of widget services that leverage their established pay TV offering. The system is a web-based front end to the NAGRA Media CMS (Content Management System), the NAGRA Media SDP (Service Delivery Platform) and the OpenTV Core 2.0 client middleware and its associated HTML browser.
A new broadcasting technology for TV programs
As a first in Europe, Numericable also announces the upcoming deployment over its network of the multicast SDV broadcasting technology delivered by Nagravision. The SDV (Switched Digital Video) technology is powered by the NAGRA Media SDP solution allowing the unlimited extension of audio-visual content. Thanks to this technology, Numericable will be able to offer new on-demand services to its subscribers. While with traditional broadcast technology, TV channels are sent in one unique stream to all subscribers, SDV technology only sends the requested channel to the subscriber's set-top box. SDV will be used alongside broadcast and VOD. It will allow the creation of new offerings designed for specific communities and the transmission of WebTV programs which so far could not justify the use of a dedicated network bandwidth. This mix of technologies on the same network – broadcast, simulcast and unicast (VOD) – is a premiere and is exclusive to Numericable.
André Kudelski, President and CEO of the Kudelski Group, declared: "Numericable is always in the vanguard of technologies introducing innovative services in the cable markets where it operates. As their partner, we strive to contribute to making Numericable's vision a reality in terms of conditional access technology, interactivity and on-demand services."
Pierre Danon, President and CEO of Numericable, commented: "Strengthening our relationship with the Kudelski Group allows us to make a great step forward in our TV 2.0 project. Not only are we going to introduce the widget technology, which was initially reserved for PCs, to a wide audience, but we are also launching the SDV technology which will enable us to multiply the number of channels available to our subscribers without having to compromise over quality."
About the Kudelski Group and Nagravision
The Kudelski Group (SIX: KUD.VX) is a world leader in digital security and convergent media solutions for the delivery of digital and interactive content. Its technologies are used in a wide range of services and applications requiring access control and rights management to secure the revenue of content owners and service providers for digital television and interactive applications across broadcast, broadband and mobile delivery networks. The Kudelski Group is also a world technology leader in the area of access control and management of people or vehicles to sites and events. It additionally offers professional recorders and high-end Hi-Fi products. The Kudelski Group is headquartered in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland. Please visit www.nagra.com for more information.
Nagravision, a Kudelski Group company, is the leading supplier of open conditional access systems, DRM and integrated on-demand solutions for content providers and digital TV operators over broadcast, broadband and mobile platforms. Its technologies are currently being used by more than 120 leading Pay-TV operators worldwide securing content delivered to over 114 million active smart cards and devices. Please visit www.nagravision.com for more information.
Contacts:
Ivan Schnider
(contact for trade media)
Nagravision SA
Head of Marketing Communications
+41 21 732 09 40
[email protected]
Daniel Herrera
(contact for general interest media)
Kudelski Group
Head of Corporate Communications
+41 21 732 01 81
[email protected]
Contacts Numericable:
Contact presse Numericable: Nadine Lang
+ 33 (0)1 77 46 81 52
[email protected]
Vae Solis Corporate: Marie-Gabrielle Sorin
+33 (0)1 53 92 80 12
[email protected]