ITV

Category: Brands

  • eBay India and Nasscom launch eBay eCommerce Guide

    eBay India and Nasscom launch eBay eCommerce Guide

    MUMBAI: The online marketplace eBay India and Nasscom (National Association of Software and Services Companies) unveiled the ‘eBay eCommerce Guide’.

    Launched by Nasscom president Kiran Karnik and eBay India Marketplace country manager Gautam Thakar at the Nasscom eCommerce seminar, the eBay eCommerce Guide aims to spread awareness and educate internet users on the various elements of eCommerce.

    According to an official release, the eBay eCommerce Guide spells out the basic business models of eCommerce, benefits to users, profiles of sellers & buyers & industry statistics. In addition, there are chapters on technology trends and resources which will assist consumers in understanding the newer developments in eCommerce.

    eBay eCommerce Guide includes eCommerce – Anytime, Anywhere, Anything Marketplace, eCommerce- Benefit from It, Reach of eCommerce in India, Real People in the e-World, Guidelines for Online Transactions, Technology and Trends, Resources and Guides and Glossary of eCommerce Terms.

    “eCommerce is of growing importance and online market places can be of immense help, especially to the SME sector and rural craftsmen who cannot afford other expensive channels of marketing,” Nasscom Karnik says. “eBay India as a pioneer of a new paradigm of ecommerce into India, has provided a revenue generation platform for thousands of Indians sellers both in India and globally. I congratulate eBay on their initiative of bringing out a eCommerce Guide, and hope that this will encourage even more Indians to adopt eCommerce.”

    The eBay eCommerce Guide is currently being distributed among influencers and media through Nasscom and other industry bodies. To avail a copy, one can mail to mediacentreindia@ebay.com.

  • Reliance in mobile content deal with Disney; to offer 3D animation

    Reliance in mobile content deal with Disney; to offer 3D animation

    MUMBAI: Reliance Communications has announced its tie-up with Disney to offer on Reliance Mobile World what would be India’s first 3D animation on mobile. The deal promises a host of other Disney mobile content offerings as well.

    Reliance customers will be able to access 16 Disney animated video shorts, including ten in 3D, exclusively made for mobile devices and featuring Disney characters They also can download other mobile content with favourite Disney characters in the form of wallpapers, ring-tones, games or comic strips from Disney Zone, created on Reliance Mobile World, states an official release.

    This is not the first deal that Disney has done with a telecom player in India. It is worth recalling that Disney had tied up with AirTel in April to develop mobisodes, games, ringtones, wallpapers and animation in the ‘Disney Mobile Theatre’ featuring popular cartoons. Airtel was then the third telecom operator Disney had tied up with, the other two being in Asia.

    Meanwhile, with soccer fever gripping the world, wallpapers and animations showing Disney characters in football gear will be an added attraction. Downloads will be priced at: Rs 5 for wallpapers, Rs 10 for video shorts downloads, Rs 5 for animations and Rs 10 for ring-tones on Disney Zone. Games will be charged at Rs 5 per session, adds the release.

    Walt Disney Internet Group EVP & MD Mark Handler says, “The strength of the Disney brand, combined with our rich content library, allows us to create a new and fun mobile experience for families in India. We are pleased to collaborate with Reliance to bring to consumers Disney mobile content, anytime, anywhere.”

    Reliance Communications Applications Solutions and Content Group president Mahesh Prasad adds, “Reliance Mobile has unparalleled reach with over 10 million data-enabled handsets and a countrywide high speed data network covering small and big towns alike. With Kidz World in Reliance Mobile World, Reliance pioneered edutainment on mobile in India. Disney Zone will raise the bar many notches to give a unique experience”.“Earlier this year, a game based on Power Rangers, a hit TV show on Toon Disney, was launched on Reliance network, which became one of the highest downloaded games nearing 700,000”. With the launch of a new season of Power Rangers SPD, a completely new game around the show is set to debut on Reliance this month,” added Mr. Prasad.

    The Walt Disney India MD Rajat Jain says, “Our success in these emerging platforms stems from the strengths of Disney’s major brands and franchises, which have been leveraged and brought in through innovative and strategically sound ways – positioning the company as the leading provider of entertainment and information for the wireless and broadband markets. We are happy to bring our best-in-class content to Reliance Mobile.”

    After Star India, it is Walt Disney Television International (India) that is exploring the mobile-enabled episode (mobisode) phenomenon.

  • eBay to add Skype phone link to listings

    eBay to add Skype phone link to listings

    MUMBAI: After paying a whopping $2.6 billion to acquire Skype last year, eBay has announced its first major business plan: to integrate the internet tele-calling service with its customer feedback system.

    Starting 19 June, sellers in 14 selected categories will be able to add a free “Skype Me” button to their listings. Potential buyers, who are looking for more information directly, can then communicate with the seller using voice, text chat, or both through the new facility.

    How does this work? Sellers will be able to embed simple “Skype Me” icons alongside product listing to allow users to contact them using a new feature, “Ask a seller a question.” The feature is free and designed to allow people to answer quick questions before completing specific purchases. When a potential buyer clicks the “Skype Me” button on the Web page, buyers can instantly be put into contact with the seller via a web-based voice call, a text message, or both.

    eBay’s North American auction business president Bill Cobb said in a statement that, the company was set to begin a trial programme on its U.S. site to evaluate how Skype can be used to connect sellers to buyers seeking product information before they buy. “Skype represents a tremendous opportunity for our sellers to connect even more closely with their buyers,” Cobb said.

    Eyebrows were raised when eBay spent such a humungous amount to acquire Skype which had revenues less than $100 million. The recent move provides part of eBay’s strategy as it targets to double Skype’s revenues.

  • LG commences India’s first optical drive plant at Pune

    LG commences India’s first optical drive plant at Pune

    MUMBAI: LG Electronics India has commenced operations of its Greenfield facility for ODD products at Ranjangaon, Pune.

    LG has begun manufacturing DVD Writers thus becoming the first company to manufacture the same in India. The DVD writer plant in Ranjangaon is the second largest DVD Writer plant in Asia. The facility presently has a capacity of producing 600,000 units of DVD players per month .

    The facility will also have an additional product range to the existing line up. LG Electronics has already begun manufacturing of GSM mobile phones early last year making it the first mobile phone manufacturing company in India. The Pune plant in addition to its current manufacturing facility at Greater Noida will enable the company to expand its consumer reach.

    The plant aims to reach up to 1500 manpower base and an investment of Rs. 300 crores till 2010 for ODD plant . With this unit LG India has become the export hub for LG DVD writers catering predominantly to the European markets. The company aims to touch an export turnover of USD 450 million by 2008.

    The Ranjangaon plant already caters to manufacturing of refrigerators, colour television sets, microwave ovens and GSM handsets.

    LG India MD KR Kim said, “It gives us great pleasure and encouragement to be the only company in India to have a first of its type ODD plant. The Greenfield facility manufactures premium end models of the product which are primarily for exports. The disk drives manufactured in Ranjangaon will cater mainly to the European markets.”

    LG adds that the encouraging optimism that the Indian consumer durables market has to offer to LG has driven it to invest Rs. 9 billion for the manufacturing facilities at the Pune plant, out of which Rs 3 billion would be invested in DVD writers. The firm hopes that the move will give it an edge over other players in terms of production and subsequent market share.

  • Motorola introduces new local content distribution system for TV

    Motorola introduces new local content distribution system for TV

    MUMBAI: Motorola, Inc. has introduced a new content distribution system that allows programmers to customise national video feeds for local audiences by inserting content at affiliate sites. The new Motorola On-Target gives programmers a new way to address different market segments by adding local information into a national broadcast.With the new Motorola On-Target system, programmers can pre-position regionalised content such as advertisements, and seamlessly insert that content during a selected local available time slot, giving viewers a customized message that is relevant to their regional area.

    The new On-Target system was demonstrated at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) tradeshow.

    The system consists of two components: An uplink management component to ingest, manage, create schedule, and distribute content, and a new downlink Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD) to receive, store and insert customized content into the national feed on a pre-scheduled or real-time basis.

    The new Motorola Integrated Server Receiver (ISR) 4410 is an IRD with a internal 200GB hard drive. The hard drive can receive and store MPEG2 video clips, graphics and text that can be used to insert customized spots into a video feed received from a satellite uplink location. Graphics and text can be animated and composited with stored or live content, with content seamlessly switched between the live and stored feeds.

    The Motorola On-Target Control System is an open-source based server that manages content distribution, including a file queue that can send content to all Motorola ISR 4410s, a subset of the ISRs in a system, or a single device. The system also includes automated remote backup of ISR hard devices.

    In addition, the system includes an authoring station where editors can create timelines, playlists with graphics and/or text, and preview any sequence prior to distribution. The web-based application can be located at an affiliate site so that local content can be created and uploaded to the On- Target Control System for eventual playout to headend-resident ISR4410s.

    “The Motorola On-Target system delivers a complete end-to-end system for customising programmers’ national feeds at the local level and providing the facilities for value-added services. With the advent of the On-Target system, we are continuing our commitment to provide programmers with innovative solutions to leverage their investments in Motorola digital content delivery networks,” said Motorola corporate vice president and Connected Home Solutions general manager Doug Means.

  • Webaroo launches the searchable, offline web in India

    Webaroo launches the searchable, offline web in India

    BANGALORE: Marking a significant step forward in improving the mobile web experience, Webaroo today launched a new software service that enables consumers to search web pages and view web sites anytime, anywhere, without an internet connection, on their handhelds and laptop computers.

    Available at www.webaroo.com, the Webaroo software features ‘web packs’ on a variety of subjects, such as news, sports and major global cities, including New York, London and Mumbai – each of which contains thousands of relevant web pages identified by Webaroo’s innovative algorithms, informs an official release.

    “The time is ripe for India to be a developer of global consumer brands, not just an outsourcing center.” says Webaroo CEO and founder Rakesh Mathur.

    “We’re thrilled to be located within the IIT incubator,” said Webaroo CTO & founder Beerud Sheth. “We’ve been able to build a world-class team in an incredibly short time.”

    In recognition of the appeal of taking the web offline, Acer plans to bundle the Webaroo software on its laptop PCs worldwide, the release adds.

    “Acer believes that the new, powerful ability to search the web offline will bring tremendous advantages for consumers and business people,” said Campbell Kan, head of Mobile Computing Business Unit, Acer Inc. “Acer is committed to being first-to-market with innovative products that are easy-to-use, dependable and empowering-enabling our users to be more productive. We plan on incorporating Webaroo’s software into Acer’s mobile PCs. We look forward to creating mutual success for Acer and Webaroo and even greater satisfaction for our customers.”

    Webaroo is a software service that allows users to download web content onto their mobile devices and search it anytime, anywhere, even without a connection. Founded in 2004 by experienced entrepreneurs Rakesh Mathur, Brad Husick and Beerud Sheth, the company has offices in Santa Clara (California), Bellevue (Washington), Mumbai (India) and New Delhi (India).

  • AOL launches mobile browsing service

    AOL launches mobile browsing service

    MUMBAI:AOL announced the debut of new mobile information and location services, including a new addition to the industry-leading suite of mobile AOL Search services. The new offering is a mobile browsing service that automatically adapts web pages for mobile screens. The easy-to-use mobile browsing service can be used by wireless subscribers with web-enabled phones.

    According to a new survey AOL conducted with the Associated Press and Pew Research Center, 52 percent of adults keep their cell phone turned on all day, everyday, and 40 percent of those aged 18-29 are likely to drop their landline once and for all. The report reveals that more than 30 percent of adults want to search and browse the web from their cell phone, while 47 percent say that mobile maps and driving directions are a “must have” on the next phone they buy.

    AOL’s wireless group senior vice president of Products Eric Engstrom said,”We are committed to providing people with easy access to the web’s full range of information, location and communications services wherever they may go. We are pleased to be working with the nation’s leading carriers to provide their subscribers with our complete suite of popular and consumer-friendly offerings. Together, we are making it easy for people to stay connected to friends, family members and colleagues.”

    AOL’s new mobile browsing service has been seamlessly integrated into the existing suite of mobile AOL Search services — including web search, shopping search and local search — to make it easy for consumers to navigate the web and find anything they need from their mobile device, according to an official release. Mobile AOL Search Services, including the new advanced browsing services, are available via mobile browser at http://www.aol.com .

    The new browsing service also marks the successful expansion of AOL’s alliance with InfoGin Ltd., a pioneer of web to mobile content adaptation solutions. AOL uses InfoGin’s transcoding and content analysis technologies to extend the ease of desktop search and navigation to wireless devices, bringing a wealth of web resources to mobile users’ finger tips.

    Also, AOL is bringing its mobile portal services to Sprint subscribers nationwide. AOL’s mobile web portal is a wireless version of the new AOL.com portal (http://www.aol.com). It is a one-stop-shop that gives mobile users easy access to the newly enhanced mobile AOL Search, AIM, AOL Mail and AOL Pictures services as well as AOL’s news, entertainment, sports and weather content.

    Sprint subscribers now have full access to America’s most popular instant messaging community via downloadable mobile AIM applications or through the wireless web. Features include presence awareness via the mobile Buddy List feature, IM Forwarding and two-way desktop-to-mobile (IM2SMS) messaging services.To learn more about mobile AOL services available to Sprint subscribers, please go to http://www.aolmobile.com/sprint

    In a related announcement, AOL debuted MapQuest’s new web-enabled service making it easier for consumers to access MapQuest.com. Coming soon, MapQuest Navigator will enable consumers to access Global Positioning Service (GPS), turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions on their mobile phones.

    Consumers with web-enabled mobile phones can access MapQuest.com by going to http://wap.mapquest.com .MapQuest expects the MapQuest Navigator service to be available through major U.S. cell phone providers later this year. For more information, see http://www.mapquest.com/mobile.

    Other services coming soon from AOL include a new mobile pictures upload feature will allow AOL Pictures users (AOL members and AIM users alike) to automatically post photos taken with their mobile device to their AOL Pictures account, regardless of their wireless carrier. The feature will be enabled through the AOL Pictures website ( http://www.aol.com/pictures).

    AOL will also introduce mobile blogging capabilities that will enable consumers to automatically post pictures from their mobile device to their AOL Journal or AIM Blog.

  • NDS, SES Americom team up to offer secure IPTV solutions for telcos

    NDS, SES Americom team up to offer secure IPTV solutions for telcos

    MUMBAI: Digital pay-TV technology solutions provider NDS has entered an agreement with SES Americom, a leading satellite operator and services provider in North America, to support their IP-Prime IPTV distribution solution with NDS Synamedia.

    Synamedia is a secure IP solution for two-way IPTV network operators. IP-Prime is a centralised, satellite-delivered IP television delivery system that permits telcos to bundle traditional standard and HD programming on a single line with their voice and internet services.

    The new offering enables telecommunications companies to offer secure, premium TV services to their customers. SES Americom will deliver up to 300 channels encoded into MPEG-4/H.264 via their IP-Prime platform, offering telcos a more efficient and robust transmission path.

    The Synamedia solution, integrated with NDS VideoGuard content protection and digital rights management, will offer SES Americom a secure platform for the delivery of multi-channel pay-TV and video on demand (VOD) services to customers using a broadband IP connection.

    Based on the proven NDS VideoGuard conditional access solution, NDS Synamedia protects content at all stages of delivery — from the broadband access point through the last mile to the IP consumer device, such as a set-top box or digital video recorder (DVR). Once content is received inside the home, VideoGuard protects the valuable digital content from piracy, whether it is stored locally or routed through a home network.

    The solution for SES Americom features VGS, a secure headend-based content protection solution from NDS. The hardware-based solution does not require a smart card in the consumer device. The decryption capability is embedded within the device’s standard video processor chip, which communicates securely with the NDS VGS network servers. NDS has worked closely with major chipset manufacturers to develop these secure video processors that can communicate with secure headend servers, providing strong content protection over two-way networks.

    The new technical approach used in the VGS content protection solution is stronger than software-based and hardware-assisted solutions, because the content is decrypted entirely within the secure processing blocks in the processor.

    Using NDS VGS technology, two-way networks provide a number of benefits, including safe network environment for authorisations, simplified upgrades to the system for enhanced functionality and security, and reduced set-top box costs. There is no security information stored in the set-top when it is switched off.

    SES Americom’s IP-Prime platform offers two delivery solutions; one path delivers the secure video content to the Telcos for their distribution to consumers. Alternately, the IP-Prime content can be passed through directly to subscriber homes via secured set-top boxes. The NDS solution is integrated into both IP-Prime options.

    “SES Americom has earned the trust of leading programmers in cable and broadcast, who are now entering the new world of IPTV aboard our reliable, secure distribution platforms. NDS is a recognized system security provider, enabling us to deliver a protected vital link in the long anticipated triple play for Telcos and markets beyond,” said SES Americom chief technology officer Alan Young.

    “Telecommunications companies have shown great interest in the delivery of television services to the home, and we are very happy to work with SES Americom to help bring the IP-Prime solution to telcos of all sizes. Security is of primary concern to protect their revenues and to enable them to deliver high value content. This integrated solution provides a turnkey approach for the telecommunications providers, bringing television services to their subscribers – quickly, easily, and securely,” said NDS Group vice president and NDS Americas general manager Dr Dov Rubin.