Irdeto Provides Indian MSO with DVB Content & Revenue Protection Solution

Contract with Bangalore-based Atria Convergence Technologies further extends Irdeto’s position in the conditional access market in India

DELHI, India — Irdeto, a leading expert in content and business model protection solutions and services, today inked a deal to deliver its latest DVB conditional access system to Bangalore-based multi-system operator (MSO) Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT). The phased roll-out of the Irdeto solution will be completed over a 30-month period. The deployment of Irdeto’s technology is part of the operator’s aggressive plans to migrate its analog cable customers to its new digital platform.

ACT was established to bring cable TV, Internet, data and other broadband services to residential customers through cable networks, and will harness Irdeto’s DVB conditional access solution to gain a stronger foothold in the country’s burgeoning cable TV market. Located near the south-eastern coast of the Indian sub-continent, Bangalore is India’s third largest city with an estimated population of 5.3 million.

ACT recently introduced its digital cable TV service targeting its large subscriber base. Heralding a new era in television broadcasting, the operator’s new digital offering delivers over 140 premium digital channels with crystal-clear audio quality. With conditional access, its cable TV subscribers will benefit from receiving and paying only for the content they wish to see, while ACT can introduce bundled services and differentiated pricing for channel offerings based on consumer demand.

“Irdeto’s scalable content and revenue protection platform was the deciding factor in our evaluation process. Its end-to-end content security offerings and variety of business models fit well with our business needs and will set a solid foundation to meet our future digital TV development,” said the Managing Director of Atria Convergence Technologies.

Irdeto’s DVB Content & Revenue Protection Solution has provided more than 300 operators worldwide with robust and proven content protection; these providers have had more piracy-free years and fewer smart card swaps than any other vendor’s customers. Irdeto’s unique FlexiFlash functionality allows for new functionalities and even security upgrades to be downloaded over the air to smart cards already in the field, enabling operators to be prepared for unexpected situations and exciting new opportunities. Designed for convergence, Iderto’s solution is modular, platform-independent and meets all industry standards such as DVB-Simulcrypt (versions 1 and 2).
“The Indian sub-continent is a key strategic component of Irdeto’s growth in the Asia-Pacific region, said Graham Kill, Chief Executive Officer of Irdeto. “Digital migration is an on-going evolution in the pay TV industry, an area where Irdeto has strong leadership. Our successful conditional access deployments with global players have made us a qualified partner to help Indian operators like Atria Convergence Technologies to realize their true growth potential.”

Although India is the third largest cable television market in the world, the low penetration levels of pay TV signifies vastly untapped growth potential. A report by Price Waterhouse Coopers estimates that the Indian television industry’s revenue will expand at a CAGR of 22 percent to reach US$13.11 billion by 2011, a significant jump from US$ 4.82 billion in 2006. Growth drivers of this industry include the fast-growing Indian economy and the availability of new distribution platforms such as direct-to-home and IPTV.