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SES AMERICOM Selects Siemens IPTV Middleware for IP-PRIME; IP-PRIME's fully-managed option enables broadband carriers to seamlessly and cost-effectively deliver IPTV; IP-PRIME to be showcased at IBC, Hall 1, Booth # 259
PRINCETON, N.J. --(Business Wire)-- Sept. 6, 2006 -- With successful IPTV trials well underway and an impressive lineup of premier programmers committed, SES AMERICOM, an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges: SESG), today announced it will integrate a middleware system powered by Myrio, a Siemens(R) company, into its open IP-PRIME(TM) IPTV content distribution platform. The deal follows several months of joint testing and pre-integration work on the innovative IP television solution.
Siemens is the first middleware to be selected as part of SES AMERICOM's turnkey IPTV offering, which enables telcos and other broadband carriers to bypass integration headaches and cost-effectively deliver broadcast quality television programming to consumers through a variety of set top boxes.
"Siemens is the first of several middleware options we have selected to offer as part of the complete, turnkey IP-PRIME IPTV distribution solution," explained Alan Young, chief technology officer for SES AMERICOM. "The Siemens IPTV operating system is backed by the focus on quality and vast resources at Siemens. With Siemens' middleware and NDS's conditional access and content protection technology now in place, IP-PRIME will enable IPTV service providers to deliver a secure and enjoyable viewing experience to consumers nationwide."
The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), which serves rural and independent telephone companies in a market of more than 10 million homes, is currently testing IP-PRIME in several communities. Initial trial success has NRTC executives and members citing IP-PRIME for its one-stop-shop IPTV distribution solution that enables small telephone companies to bypass barriers to entry.
"With Siemens middleware, IP-PRIME is a true end-to-end IPTV distribution solution that allows hundreds of small and medium-sized telephone and communications companies to easily and cost-efficiently meet the growing consumer demands for more choices in service and on the screen," said Steve Bing, senior vice president of video services, sales, and marketing, NRTC. "SES AMERICOM has leveled the playing field, making it simple and affordable for rural and independent communications companies to enter and compete in the delivery of broadcast quality television services."
Siemens middleware joins an impressive list of technology partners aboard the IP-PRIME platform, including NDS, selected to provide end-to-end IPTV content protection and conditional access. Scientific-Atlanta is providing the MPEG-4 encoding system and its ROSA(TM) Network Management System. Globecomm is providing the overall design and integration services as well as the major components for SES AMERICOM's IP-PRIME IPTV Broadcast Distribution Center in Vernon Valley, New Jersey, where content is aggregated and processed for delivery to telephone company video hubs and direct to consumer set top boxes.
IP-PRIME's fully managed solution is scheduled for commercial launch later this year, with hundreds of standard and HD television channels available for telco subscribers across the U.S. IP-PRIME's headend solution has been delivering content to support BellSouth's IPTV trial since November 2005.
About Siemens Middleware
Middleware solutions that are part of the Siemens SURPASS(R) Home Entertainment portfolio provide an award-winning consumer interface with proven track record as a quality IPTV service delivery platform of choice for more than 75 U.S. regional operators and many others worldwide. As part of the IP-PRIME IPTV distribution system, Siemens open, standards-based IPTV middleware has been integrated with content protection technology and MPEG-4 video, including high-definition (HD) video support, to provide an end-to-end certified solution.
The Siemens LifeWorks Vision
The Siemens SURPASS Home Entertainment solution is a critical component of the Siemens LifeWorks(TM) vision to help people interact, work and be entertained - without technology boundaries - in an always-on world. The company's award-winning LifeWorks vision provides the building blocks for the ongoing development of secure, reliable and high-quality converged communication solutions that drive greater efficiencies and improve user satisfaction.
About SES AMERICOM
The largest supplier of satellite services in the U.S., SES AMERICOM is recognized as a pioneer of global satellite communications services. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the launch of its first satellite, the company today operates a fleet of 18 spacecraft in orbital positions predominantly providing service throughout the Americas. As a member of the SES GLOBAL family, SES AMERICOM is able to provide end-to-end telecommunications solutions to any region of the world via a fleet of 43 satellites. In addition, AMERICOM Government Services, a wholly owned subsidiary, is dedicated to providing satellite-based communications solutions to both civilian and defense agencies of the U.S. government. With its combined operations, SES AMERICOM serves broadcasters, cable programmers, aeronautical and maritime communications integrators, Internet service providers, mobile communications networks, government agencies, educational institutions, carriers and secure global data networks with efficient communication and content distribution solutions.
Note: Siemens, SURPASS and LifeWorks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Siemens AG or its subsidiaries and affiliates. All other company, brand, product and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
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