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Jointly-developed multiscreen video platform unifies
video management and delivery for scheduled and on-demand video
services
Paris, France/ Seattle, WA - June 13, 2011 – Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext
and NYSE: ALU) and  thePlatform, a
leading online video management and publishing company, today announced a
strategic alliance to help cable and IPTV providers deliver a new generation of
video services to their subscribers’ TVs, PCs, tablets, mobile phones and
more.
The companies have joined forces to offer a multiscreen
video platform that supports the delivery of live scheduled TV,
Video-on-Demand (VOD) and ‘TV everywhere’ services to a variety of screens,
allowing pay-TV subscribers to access their video content in the home or on the
go, on whichever device is most convenient to them at the time.
The solution offers advanced video management capabilities together with
optimized video distribution through a content delivery network (CDN) deployed
by the service provider. It also brings the security and reliability found
today on TV set-top boxes to a broader range of devices.
Derrick Frost, Senior Vice President, Global IP Video Solutions at
Alcatel-Lucent said: “Consumer demand for anywhere, anytime video services is
exploding and our customers are looking for an edge. Alcatel-Lucent’s
leadership in IPTV and content delivery networks, coupled with our strategic
alliance with thePlatform provides a unique suite of capabilities that allow
service providers to offer the best of traditional pay-TV and online video
worlds to their customers.”
Ian Blaine, CEO of thePlatform observed: “In recent years, we’ve seen
tremendous growth and innovation with online video, which is reshaping the
future of TV. Our alliance with Alcatel-Lucent allows us to address the new
opportunities and challenges facing TV service providers today. Expanding the
use of our capabilities beyond online and mobile video to manage TV itself
represents a significant new business opportunity for thePlatform.
Alcatel-Lucent’s strong customer relationships and experience in the service
provider space will help us reach a broader set of customers than was possible
previously. Our joint solution will enable pay-TV providers to create
groundbreaking consumer services that unify content delivery across any
screen.”
The multiscreen video platform is made up of three main components - Cloud,
Content Delivery Network and Clients – each of which can be deployed
individually, in combination, or as part of a comprehensive solution:
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Multiscreen Cloud -- A central element of this component is
thePlatform’s cloud-based mpx
video management system which provides the central logistics system for
multi-screen video publishing. It provides video and metadata management,
rights enforcement and business policy modelling between TV providers and
content owners, and automated publishing capabilities. For TV service
providers, mpx provides flexible deployment options that support a fully-hosted
cloud-based ASP (application service provider) model, a self-hosted solution
within the TV service provider’s data centers, or a hybrid deployment that
combines aspects of both. In addition, customers can benefit from both
companies’ subscriber management services which maintain a detailed subscriber
profile for each customer, supporting authentication, payments, preferences,
audience measurement, advertising, and customer service needs.
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Multiscreen CDN -- The Multiscreen Content Delivery Network - based
on Alcatel-Lucent’s Velocix Digital Media Delivery Platform - enables service
providers to build and operate their own dedicated CDN as an alternative to
shared third-party CDNs. It also improves video quality, offers faster file
downloads at significantly reduced costs, and – when integrated with
thePlatform’s mpx video management system -- assures seamless delivery of
video. Security concerns about illegal content sharing are addressed with
encryption functionality that allows pay-TV providers to implement robust
set-top box-like content protection for virtually any device.
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Multiscreen Clients -- The Multiscreen Clients are a suite of
subscriber applications, each designed to support video
playback on either a PC, tablet or mobile device. Service
providers have the option to customize the user experience to meet their
specific requirements, or select an out-of-the-box Multiscreen Client
application. The Multiscreen Clientscan seamlessly pre-integrate the
Interactive Program Guide (IPG) with search and personalization features,
making it easy for users to discover and watch live TV and VOD services on a
wide variety of devices in an intuitive fashion comparable to a typical TV
experience.
The two companies are currently working with a number of leading TV service
providers on deployments. Additional information about thePlatform can be found
at www.thePlatform.com. Additional
information about Alcatel-Lucent’s Multiscreen Video Platform can be found at
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/multiscreen-video-platform.
About thePlatform
thePlatform™ is the leading white-label video management and publishing
company. Media companies rely on thePlatform as their open, central hub for
managing, monetizing, and syndicating billions of professionally produced video
views annually. The company’s services provide unmatched versatility for
designing and supporting video businesses on PCs, mobile, and TV. Customers
include: Cablevision, Canwest, CBC, Comcast, Corus Entertainment, Cox
Communications, ExerciseTV, HIT Entertainment, NBC Local Media, Outdoor
Channel, PBS, PBS KIDS Sprout, Rogers, Sony BMG, Starz Play, Time Warner Cable,
Travel Channel Media, truTV and numerous others. With a 10-year history of
service, thePlatform is an independent subsidiary of Comcast based in Seattle,
Wash. For more information: www.thePlatform.com.
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