Category: Technology

Mumbai: Increase in expenses for digitisation in the four metros and rising cost of borrowings has weighed down profitability of Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd, a multi-system operator (MSO) with a national footprint.

Mumbai-based Hathway reported a loss of Rs 159 million in the first quarter ended June 30, 2012, 71 per cent more than in the previous quarter ended March 31, 2012 and 30 per cent higher than a year earlier. Loss of Rs 46 million on account of fluctuation in foreign exchange rates enlarged the loss in the first quarter.

HDFC Securities, in a research note, said increase in interest cost due to higher inventory of set-top-boxes (STBs) and increase in interest rates caused widening of Hathway‘s loss in the first quarter.

The company‘s finance cost in the first quarter was Rs 133.38 million, up 18 per cent from the previous quarter and 39 per cent from a year earlier.

In Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata analog mode of delivery of television channels to homes will be phased out from November 1. Hathway has a total of 2.1 million subscribers in the four metros and has so far 1.1 million subscribers have been provided with set-top-boxes (STBs).

Hathway expects to install STBs at homes of another 0.7-0.9 million subscribers by the end of October 2012, according to a research note by Sunidhi Securities & Finance Ltd. Hathway also has 0.41 million broadband subscribers, with 7,000 added in the first quarter.

The company‘s revenues at Rs 1.36 billion in the first quarter were flat compared to the previous quarter and up 12 per cent from a year earlier, on the back of higher fee on activation of STBs and addition of broadband subscribers.

Its EBITDA in the first quarter at Rs 238 million was 2 per cent higher than in the previous quarter and up 25 per cent from a year earlier. Its EBITDA margins in the first quarter were 17.5 per cent, 29 basis points more than in the previous quarter and 187 basis points higher than a year earlier.

MUMBAI: Jupiter Telecommunications, the largest multiple system operator (MSO) in Japan, has deployed Concurrent‘s MediaHawk VX unified content delivery solution to deliver its new TV everywhere service, branded Xvie.

The service will allow J:COM subscribers to view J:COM On Demand video programming anywhere, anytime, on a wide range of IP connected consumer electronics devices, including Apple iPads, iPhones, and Android devices. This service allows programs to be started on one screen, paused, and continued on any other screen, enabling seamless video viewing on-the-go.

“J:COM was interested in deploying a flexible, high performance HTTP delivery solution that could help us support next generation TV Everywhere services,” said J:COM Manager Service Development Hidetaka Haga.

Concurrent president and chief executive officer Dan Mondor said, “We believe J:COM‘s selection of the MediaHawk VX platform is an excellent showcase of our capabilities and expertise in delivering premium quality video to any screen, over any network. Our flexible software solutions support ever-changing market demands, providing greater value to our customers and their subscribers.”

MUMBAI: Social media users screamed ‘censorship‘ as the Indian government blocked 14 Twitter accounts including that of two journalists apart from blocking 310 web pages that it considered inflammatory.

The government action comes in the wake of violence in Assam and exodus of people hailing from north eastern states from Bangalore, Delhi and Pune, following rumours that the community would be attacked in retaliation to Assam violence.

Among those in the government‘s line of fire included former Pioneer journalist Kanchan Gupta and Headlines Today deputy editor Shiv Aroor.

Meanwhile, Twitter has told the government that it was facing technical difficulties in blocking certain web pages. However, the government has hardened its stance by threatening punitive action against the micro blogging site for failing to do so.

MUMBAI: US media conglomerate News Corp has announced that the chief digital officer since 2009 Jonathan Miller will leave his post at the end of September as the company moves towards its proposed separation into two distinct companies.

Miller will serve as an outside advisor to News Corporation on digital issues through fall 2013.

During his tenure, Miller revamped News Corp‘s digital strategy as the company transitioned away from standalone owned-and-operated web properties and refocused on digital content distribution and the monetisation of its existing brands on emerging platforms.

Miller was instrumental in strengthening News Corporation‘s relationships within the technology industry and also oversaw a number of key investments in the U.S. and abroad, most recently stakes taken in Roku and Bona Film Group.

Miller also represented News Corporation on the Hulu Board of Directors.

News Corp chairman, CEO Rupert Murdoch said, “Jon Miller is a visionary in the digital media industry, and his commitment to News Corporation over the last three years has driven us to truly evolve the way millions of people use new platforms to consume news and entertainment. As we prepare for our proposed Company separation, I respect Jon‘s desire to return to an operational, entrepreneurial role with a standalone company. He will be missed and I can‘t thank him enough for his efforts and many valued contributions.”

News Corp president, COO Chase Carey said, “Jon is a seasoned technology veteran and we‘ve benefited enormously from his insights and deep relationships in Silicon Valley and beyond. We wish him the best of luck on his new ventures.”

Miller commented, “This has been a fantastic three years and we‘ve made real progress across a number of fronts. I am grateful to Chase, Rupert and James for the opportunity to work across such a great canvas of businesses at a time of real industry change and transformation. While my time spent has been productive, it feels like the right time to exit. I look forward to pursuing new ventures that will lead me back into an operational role.”

MUMBAI: Raghav Bahl-promoted media conglomerate Network 18 group has sold a 20 per cent stake in entertainment ticketing website Bookmyshow.com to venture capital firm Accel Partners for Rs 500 million.

Accel Partners will invest another Rs 500 million in Bigtree through a primary issuance but the amount of stake it will get for the direct investment has not been disclosed.

The transaction on completion will add Rs 450 million to the pre-tax profit of Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. The transaction values Bigtree, the holding company of Bookmyshow.com, at Rs 2.5 billion.

Network18‘s stake in Bigtree will drop to 40 per cent from 60 per cent now, the company said in a statement. After the primary issuance, Network18 group‘s stake will further reduce.

Bigtree, established in 1999, started by setting up India‘s first entertainment online ticketing business, with the help of a profitable investment made by Chase Capital Partners JP Morgan.

The sale of stake in Bigtree is in line with Network18‘s stated objective of reducing stakes in digital and other non-broadcasting assets to create value for the Network18 shareholders and allow infusion of growth capital in these assets.

The stake sale at Bookmyshow.com is the second in a series of asset monetization transactions by Network18. Earlier during the year, Network18 had profitably sold its stake in one of the Capital18 investee companies – NetworkPlay to Bertelsmann.

The Network18 group operates a portfolio of digital content and e-commerce assets including moneycontrol.com, ibnlive.com, in.com, firstpost.com and HomeShop18.com. Network18 also holds a minority stake in Yatra – leading travel booking estinations.

Announcing the transaction, Network18 MD Raghav Bahl said, “After a phase of investment in building our digital and other non-broadcasting businesses, we believe that many of these assets have reached an inflection point and can now help in creating value for all our stakeholders. The dilution in one of our premier digital commerce assets – bookmyshow.com is a reflection of our commitment to profitably monetise these assets for the benefit of our shareholders and also facilitate the growth of these businesses to the next level.

“We are confident that the Indian digital story is just beginning and many of the digital commerce and content assets like bookmyshow.com, Homeshop18, the content properties under Web18 and the Capital18 investee companies; that we have nurtured over the past decade are now on track for the next phase of their growth journey.”

MUMBAI: iNovo Broadband, an Atlanta-based start-up specialising in service provider centric Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), has appointed Michael Harney as chief executive officer.

iNovo‘s co-founder and COO Jack Miller said, “No one is more qualified to lead us than Michael. The addition of a senior executive with his record of success is a significant milestone for our organisation.”

Harney added, “Bringing new technologies to market successfully demands an intimate understanding of the installed base.” He noted that iNovo‘s core technical group made substantial contributions to nearly every major breakthrough in the digital era. And while standardisation now affords service providers more CPE choices than ever before, “There is always room for suppliers who can execute, and this team has proven that they can.”

Bowick Group president Chris Bowick added, “Michael has long been one of the most respected executives in the cable television industry. His addition to their existing strong team further establishes iNovo as a credible alternative to legacy suppliers.”

Harney recently led Cisco‘s Service Provider Video Technology Group. He has also worked at Scientific-Atlanta where he was working as corporate SVP and president of their flagship Subscriber Networks Group.

MUMBAI: Netflix, the Internet subscription service for TV series and films, has hit the one million member milestone in the UK and Ireland within seven months, faster than in any other territory it has launched.

To put that in perspective, that‘s four times faster than it took Twitter to hit one million users globally and nearly twice as fast as it took Facebook and Foursquare globally.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said, “This membership milestone is evidence that Netflix has rapidly gained popularity in the UK and Ireland. Our British and Irish members clearly enjoy the ability to instantly watch a large variety of TV shows and films streaming from Netflix on their favourite devices whenever they want.”

Consumers are spending more time enjoying entertainment online, according to a survey by YouGov for Netflix. Ten per cent of the UK population now dedicates two hours or more of their day to watching their favourite TV show delivered through the Internet.

On Netflix, comedy and drama are the top genre choices among UK and Irish members, whose favourite time of the week to enjoy their streaming entertainment is on a Sunday night.

TV presenter and gadget expert, Pollyanna Woodward said, “Consumers are beginning to spend more time enjoying entertainment online, streaming TV and film, and this trend is only growing. With services like Netflix, consumers can watch their favourite TV shows and films when and how they want.”

Netflix is available on over 800 devices. Brits spend ?565.21 a year on new electronic gear, according to YouGov, meaning that it is likely that any given household has at least one device that can stream TV shows and films from Netflix.

Netflix members can look forward to new TV shows and movies coming soon including ‘50/50‘, ‘2012‘ and ‘Iron Man 2‘. Members can also look forward to ‘Covert Affairs‘ and the next season of ‘Breaking Bad‘ on Netflix.

MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has strengthened its portfolio with the launch of Standard Definition (SD) Quarterly Combo Pack – an extension of its existing SD & ISP offering.

The company‘s new digital cable broadband combo now includes digital cable and broadband provisions for its customers and is available across Hathway‘s direct points.

Already rolled out in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Aurangabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad, the new package is priced at Rs 1900 for the company‘s Ultra 512 combo with 512 Kbps speed (ISP and Digital cable services) and Rs. 2200 for its Flash 2 Lite with 2 Mbps broadband speed combo (ISP and digital cable services) which has been specially introduced for customers looking for better speed options.

Commenting on the launch, Hathway Cable and Datacom MD & CEO K Jayaraman said, “After understanding growing customer needs and taking into account feedback from our direct subscribers, we have launched our quarterly package offering that provides quality viewing and faster browsing experiences at unbeatable prices. We are positive about the product being a hit in the market and look forward to interacting with our customers more often so as to provide better quality offerings.”

MUMBAI: After having been connected with his fans through the online medium via his blog and Twitter, Amitabh Bachchan has made himself available on social networking site Facebook too.

Within just an hour of the activation, the page received 784,417 likes.

“Yipee! I am on FaceBook! My ID: FaceBook.com/AmitabhBachchan,” the 69-year-old tweeted.

“And!! It has already crossed a million and I am humbled. Keep it coming, Baby,” he tweeted.

Amitabh‘s fan-page became visible on Tuesday morning when the megastar also published a video taken from his home Jalsa.

“Hello everybody! This is Amitabh Bachchan and I just want all of you to know that now I am on Facebook and this is a welcome device. The way the digital world is going is just unbelievable. And I thought that I would use Facebook to connect with all my well wishers yet again. You have been with me on Blog and Twitter and here is another medium that is now going to connect us even further.

“Year-after-year, month-after-month, day-after-day, we are coming closer to each other. Lovely to have you here and we shall be seeing each other and you will get to know more about me and my daily activities where I go, what I do though this wonderful medium. Thanks for being with me on Facebook. Thank you,” the mega star says on the video.

MUMBAI: DTH service provider Videocon d2h has launched an exclusive movie channel, d2h Cinema, that will air new Bollywood movies.

The subscription fee for the channel, which will air four news movies every month, is Rs 60 per month.

The launch of the channel will see movies like Vicky Donor, Ferrari ki Sawari, Agent Vinod, Twilight Saga followed by Gangs of Wasseypur- Part I and Part II, Bol Bachchan, Department and Cocktail.

Videocon d2h director Saurabh Dhoot said, “The popularity of Bollywood movies in the country is well known to all, and Videocon d2h is ensuring that it serves hand-picked films for the subscribers who would like to watch the movies at their own leisure which they missed in the theatre or would like to re-watch it. d2h Cinema is a platform through which we would leverage and connect with our consumers better.”

Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera added, “The active pay per view movie channel d2h Cinema will have a library featuring super-hit movies, classic movies and evergreen movies in addition to the most recent films. Our library of the Bollywood movies has more than 100 titles and many more will be acquired soon.”