Category: Software

NEW DELHI: Dish TV has tied up with SVR Payment Solutions to enable its current base of 12.5 million subscribers to access SVR Payment solution distribution network which has 15000 outlets across India.

Dish TV has customer base in Tier- I, Tier- II and Tier- III cities as well as rural areas and SVR Payment Solution services. This tie up will also facilitate customers at Indian Railway restaurants, India Post for Post Offices, Innovative channels like Money On Mobile, school and college canteens. Dish TV has increased its dealer network manifold and has a strong retails presence in rural areas as well as nationwide.

Dish TV COO Salil Kapoor said: “Our thrust is to provide the easier and the convenient mode of payment solutions to the customers, earlier also we have tie up with MPOnline, Bangalore One and others. The tie up with SVR Payment solutions is another milestone for us to create a proper channel of recharging and e-payment at customer’s doorstep.”

SVR Payment Solutions director Sushil Poddar said, “Like telecom industry, DTH has penetrated into households and we are proud to associate with Dish TV which is Asia’s largest DTH player. SVR payment solutions provide one stop solution through the mobile payment arrangement that empower the transaction accessible from anywhere, any network and at anytime. Our alliance will help the customers and also benefit both the companies, Dish TV and SVR Payment Solutions. Our joint venture will help the customer getting a hassle free service 24 X 7.”

SVR Payment solutions has a pan India presence covering all the major states (West Bengal, Orissa, North Eastern States like Assam and Bihar/Jharkhand). SVR is continuously expanding their reach and spread by acquiring small channels at state level and expanding their umbrella across India.

MUMBAI: EA Sports has unveiled the official licensed videogame for the 2012 European Football Championship, which begins 8 June in Poland and Ukraine.

Available from 24 April for ?15.99, EA Sports Uefa Euro 2012 will also allow fans to compete online. Uefa Euro 2012 will be available as an expansion pack to fans who own EA Sports Fifa 12 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Plus, a live service will drive real-life storylines into the game from the qualifying campaign and the tournament itself. Challenges will enable fans to earn experience points and level up their EA Sports Football Club profile.

“This game will tap into the passion fans have for their national teams by capturing all of the national rivalries in-game, and re-creating all the emotion of the Uefa Euro 2012 tournament,” said Producer Sebastian Enrique. “We are utilising the best-playing FIFA videogame ever, driving live, digital content created from the biggest headlines from the tournament into the game, and offering an exclusive new mode that will challenge gamers in unique and compelling ways.”

MUMBAI: Job portal from Times Internet Limited (TIL) TimesJobs has revamped its mobile site to facilitate its users with an enhanced searching experience.

Promoted by Times Internet Ltd, the portal has been redesigned after taking user feedback and undertaking in-depth studies of how users want to navigate TimesJobs.com on their mobile phones.

TimesJobs.com VP Amit Jain said, “As mobile phones have become a ubiquitous and integral part of our lives, TimesJobs.com has completely revamped its mobile website leveraging the portable functionality of this handy and omnipresent instrument.”

There has been equal emphasis given to smartphones and non-smart/feature phone devices in this new build.

The log in now supports auto-login to avoid tedious credentials entry every time. The users will get enhanced mobile search and easy apply to jobs. They can register a new profile, edit and update an existing profile. Additionally, they will receive recommended matching jobs and job alerts; they can save jobs for later viewing and auto save search history for last five searches on device. They are also accessible to free daily career horoscope predictions and premium career services.

In addition, TimesJobs.com has introduced a feature for registered users –The TimesJobs.com Unified “Inbox”. Via the Inbox a registered user will be able to get the latest TimesJobs.com news and announcements, get single click access to matching job alerts, see which recruiter viewed their profile, read recruiter contact messages, get updates on responses to job applications and get status updates on career services packages that the candidate has purchased.

“The new TimesJobs.com mobile site has been re-designed to go beyond user expectations and continues to provide jobseekers with the assurance of assisting them in searching, selecting and applying to jobs anytime and anywhere, using their mobiles,” Jain added.

TimesJobs already has iPhone, Android & J2ME applications for its users downloadable from respective appstores – iTunes, Google Play, GetJar.com.

MUMBAI: The Asia-Pacific digital games market will more than double over the next four years at a CAGR of 18 per cent to be worth $30.3 billion in 2016 from $11.2 billion in 2010, according to Ovum.

This growth rate is a healthy two per cent ahead of the global average, and retail sales in the region comprised over half of global retails sales in 2011. This figure is expected to grow to nearly 60 per cent by 2016.

Ovum‘s consumer telecoms analyst Neha Dharia said that Asia-Pacific is already vital in terms of digital gaming retail sales, and will grow in importance in future. She commented: “The region will drive the digital games market globally. The most significant retail sales contribution will come from the massive multiplayer online game (MMOG) sector, while the highest amount of growth in the Asia-Pacific market will come from mobile gaming.”

With more and more casual players entering the market, gamer numbers will grow faster than retail sales, resulting in the erosion of average revenue per user (ARPU). Casual and social games will be vital to growing the number of gamers and bringing digital games into the mainstream.

There is a considerable split between Asia-Pacific‘s developed and emerging regions. This results in a higher level of ARPU in South-Korea and Japan than in China, for example, which has lower ARPU due to a large gamer base and the relatively low cost of games.

Ovum‘s forecast for the Asia-Pacific market predicts that online unique gamers will number over 1 billion in 2016, while there will be slightly fewer than 900 million mobile gamers in 2016.

Dharia concluded: “The growth of digital gaming in Asia-Pacific will give service providers an opportunity to grow their revenues in the region. Telcos in particular could harness this growth by offering gaming-specific connections, or bundling mobile games with data access packs. In addition, shifting the distribution of payments offline could encourage the number of in-app game purchases.”

MUMBAI: More than a million TV sets risk going blank when the London region goes digital in a week‘s time, Digital UK has warned.

With just seven days remaining until analogue TV starts being turned off, more than one in ten households still have a television relying on the old signal – accounting for more than a million TVs in the region.

However, the vast majority are now prepared for digital switchover, which is set to be the biggest change to television in the UK capital for a generation.

Analogue BBC Two will close across the London region on 4 April, followed by all remaining analogue channels on 18 April. Viewers must ensure all their TVs can receive either Freeview, cable or satellite channels, and Freeview viewers need to retune their equipment on both dates.

As part of the change, Freeview coverage will be boosted to reach more than 400,000 viewers who cannot receive it now, putting an end to digital blackspots across the region.

Digital UK, the body in charge of the process, is launching the final stage of an information campaign to ensure people are aware of the change, including large warning messages broadcast on analogue TV channels. The body is also offering face-to-face advice through local roadshows and advice points next week.

Digital UK London Manager Deborah Bain said, “We know from elsewhere in the country that some people leave it very late to prepare for switchover. Almost any set can be converted to digital, even black and white ones, so now is the time to get ready. Most people will find the process straightforward, but some may need a bit of extra help, so we will provide advice and assistance throughout the switchover period.”

MUMBAI: BroadcastAsia2012, the international conference for the film and TV industries, returns to Singapore with a line-up of over 80 speakers to deliberate on the most critical issues facing broadcasters today.

Running from 19- 22 June 2012 at the Suntec Convention Centre, the conference agenda foretells the ‘reinvention‘ of the broadcast industry as content is re-purposed towards viewers who have become increasingly more mobile and who view content on various devices. Broadcasters are forced to reckon with this fact and gear up to cater to this growing trend.

With this in mind, the BroadcastAsia2012 International Conference will address the multitude of challenges and opportunities broadcasters face today. Speakers representing the various members of the broadcast ecosystem will touch on many inflection points that are occurring as the industry grapples with shifting content as well as moves towards digitisation in terrestrial broadcasting.

The conference will feature two C-level keynote panel discussions and tracks, spread over four days. Speakers from companies across the globe will bring participants the latest technology developments, future strategies for broadcasters to stay cost effective and profitable, new industry alliances that they will need and outline the workings of future business models. Held concurrently with the BroadcastAsia2012 exhibition, the conference is expected to host 400 senior level executives from all across the world.

Charting the future in broadcasting: As the broadcast industry grapples with shifting landscapes and disruptive technologies, the BroadcastAsia2012 International Conference will commence on 19 June with a keynote panel discussion on Future Business Models.

The panel will focus on the question that is on every broadcaster‘s mind – “What direction is the broadcasting industry taking?” Panelists will closely examine next generation broadcasting models, debate the impact of Google TV, Apple TV, Netflix and Hulu on traditional broadcasting, share perspectives on how to better engage their audiences, and how to continue building and maintaining a robust brand in the eyes of their viewers. Lastly, in the move towards digitisation, panellists will also discuss how they intend to mitigate technology obsolesce and bring their organisations forward with a clearly chartered vision for the future.

Industry watchers say that this decade will see the migration of TV from its historical model of film to the Internet as new technology and consumption patterns pave the way for this migration[1]. According to Gartner‘s estimate, manufacturers will produce over 70 million broadband connected TV sets worldwide by 2014. Day one proceedings will cover the dynamic interplay of broadcasting and broadband, digital migration roadmaps with suitable enhancement strategies and the outlook for Pay TV operators.

With 10,000 channels and 365 million subscribers, Asia‘s pay TV industry is booming[2]. Over The Top (OTT) TV is gaining a foothold, offering content to consumers via handheld devices and computer screens. The Pay TV track will explore the promising synergies between Pay TV and OTT as broadcasters recognise the potential of OTT to expand the content they provide to subscribers and the ways to deliver it.

Singapore Exhibition Services (SES) director of PR and conference Lindy Wee said, “The explosion of broadband, mobile broadcast and Over the Top Technology (OTT) delivery is challenging the industry to embrace transformational changes as broadband and broadcast come together. As broadcasters touch new markets and previously unreachable audiences, the conference will guide industry professionals and business leaders through a rethink of what customers need and how best to adapt their business models to drive further growth.”

The panel on 20 June will discuss the state of social media and the significance to broadcasting. Speakers of the various tracks will be discussing the impact of social media on broadcasting and explore business models for monetising content on multi-platform, technology for multi-screen and OTT delivery and cloud broadcasting. LiveAsia TV CEO Jonathan Benartzi will review the value proposition of the hybrid platform; how broadcasters can aggregate all content on one platform to disseminate to multiple platforms. Pixelmetrix president, CEO Danny Wilson will be discussing the topic of Over-the-Top Television and the technologies, and the differences in OTT and the unique challenges and opportunities.

Day two of the conference will also discuss cloud technologies which are currently used to distribute video content to consumers in a number of scenarios. Frost & Sullivan Global Industry Manager Vidya S Nath will share how they can also be used effectively for professional video content production and management.

The road ahead for other technologies: On 21 and 22 June, industry people will cover the latest developments in file-based workflow and media asset management, expound on the road ahead for DVB-T2 technologies, follow the evolution of HDTV and explore the next frontier in digital radio broadcasting. DVB Asia representative John Begini will be chairing the DVB-T2 track which will cover case studies on DVB-T2 planning, DVB-T2 Trials and Implementation in various countries, and DVB-T2 Lite for mobile applications.

MUMBAI: Eutelsat Communications has appointed Jean-François Leprince-Ringuet as chief commercial officer and member of the Executive Committee, succeeding Andrew Wallace who is leaving Eutelsat to pursue other professional interests.

Leprince-Ringuet will join Eutelsat on 16 April to assume overall responsibility for Eutelsat‘s commercial activities.

He brings 30 years of experience in IT and telecoms to Eutelsat. He has held commercial strategy, sales and marketing positions in Europe and North America at IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Cap Gemini and Bull, and has also been President of the IDATE Foundation.

“Eutelsat‘s ambition is to consolidate its place in broadcast and broadband markets with the highest quality of service, and to leverage innovation that can expand the role of satellites in the digital economy. Leprince-Ringuet‘s background in international telecom markets and his experience in developing sales and partner relationships will add to our commercial strengths and I am very pleased to welcome his broad talents to our management team,” commented Eutelsat CEO Michel de Rosen. “I thank Andrew for his commitment to our Group and wish him continued success in his career.”

MUMBAI: Zee TV has launched the first of its kind WAP site and mobile application for its dance reality show, Dance India Dance Season 3.

The channel has partnered with Mobilox Innovations to develop a WAP and app technology which will give all mobile phone addicts the opportunity to reach out to their favourite DID contestants in real time.

The WAP site will have features like appreciating your favourite participant while you watch them dance on television; chat with your favourite DID contestants and suggest dance steps to them; interact with the judges of DID – Masters Remo, Geeta and Terence; and vote for your favourite participants (with in-built Missed call function), among others.

The App will have fun features like clicking your friend’s photo and turning the photo into an animated character. It will dance to a tune and this video can be shared on Facebook and Twitter. One will also be able to view all the Twitter messages and posts of all participants and judges on one page.

The WAP is developed on HTML5. With most mobile phones having no access to Flash, HTML5 can deliver videos and other multimedia content to any kind of mobile phones and feature phones. HTML5 will enable users a better, faster, richer Web experience on their phones.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd marketing head, national channels Akash Chawla said, “Dance India Dance is a brand that is a favourite with viewers of all ages, especially the youth. Through Dance India Dance, Zee TV as a channel got an unparalleled opportunity to connect with the youth of today. Technology engages us in ways that are addictive. Television consumption patterns are changing for good. Viewers are leading the charge toward on-demand entertainment, viewable on the device of their choosing. This power shift is pervasive and they are not just passive viewers anymore, they’re also generators of content, co-creators of products, and – with social media and their smartphones– a media channel in their own right. With anytime, anyplace consumption, it is imperative for a content producer like us to adapt to their methods for making an impression and engaging with audiences. And to remain viable, we must do our part to facilitate this process…DID’s WAP/APP is just the start of this revolution!”

This mobile innovation is aimed at engaging with viewers which in turn will be an effective feedback mechanism to track their responses. The App has been designed keeping in mind the youth of the nation who are very active in the social media sphere.

Mobilox Innovations MD and CEO Abhijit Saxena added, “The explosive growth of mobile phones especially smartphones in India has opened up multi model opportunities for viewers to interact with content from the channel. Channels now have a huge opportunity to deliver a concept or a show in multiple flavours on mobile, thus making a TV show come out of the screen and resonate strongly in the minds of the viewers. By marrying television and mobile (2 widely viewed screens), viewers can now interact with a particular show beyond its airing time to a 24 hour format.”

MUMBAI: After taking Big CBS Prime on Dish TV last week, BIG CBS Networks, the joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network and CBS Studios International, has signed distribution deal with the DTH company for its second offering Big CBS Love.

Big CBS Love will be available to Dish TV subscribers on channel number 448.

Big CBS Networks business head Vishal Rally said, “With this, we are further strengthening our alliance with Dish TV, to offer a wider audience base the best English entertainment.”

Speaking on the development, Dish TV COO Salil Kapoor said, “Dish TV being the pioneer and market leader in DTH industry keeps adding feathers in the cap by giving our customers the best of channels as we firmly believe “Content is king”. We are proud to extend our partnership to the second Channel – Big CBS Love along with Big CBS Prime to our 12.5 million subscribers; Dish TV will keep bringing entertainment at our customer doorsteps, we hope that our alliance will mutually benefit each other.”

Big CBS Love is an international women‘s channel, targeted at the upwardly mobile women across the metros. The channel airs shows like Oprah Winfrey Show, America‘s Next Top Model, Sex and the City, Rules of Engagement, Stylista! along with locally produced shows like I Love Style and the recently concluded first and season of India‘s Glam Diva.

NEW DELHI: The Government today reiterated that there would be no change in the date for switching off analogue in the four metros on 30 June, and also turned down any requests for incentives or tax concessions.

Addressing an open house with stakeholders – a majority of them multi-system operators, local cable operators, and broadcasters – Information and Broadcasting Ministry Additional Secretary Rajiv Takru said the consumer should realise that digitisation was in his best interest as it would mean greater transparency, an end to piracy, and cheaper entertainment.

When a stakeholder persisted in questioning the official about what would happen if the consumers did not respond, he said: “If the consumer does not care, then it is best to ignore him.” He also criticised cable operators who tended to receive on set top box and then supply the signals through wire connections to various homes since this only ruined the quality of the picture and was in any case illegal.

He said the aim of the meet had been to get the local cable operators and all other stakeholders in one forum to listen to their grievances.

Answering a question about licences to cable operators, he said there was a provision of 45 days for final disposal for applications.

While Cable Operators Federation of India (COFI) president Roop Sharma claimed that the meeting was a farce since there were very few local cable operators present, she also alleged that digitisation was aimed at benefiting the direct-to-home (DTH) platforms – a charge Takru strongly denied. She said the deadline was impractical and claimed that even in the United States, analogue and digitisation were co-existing.

Dr A K Rastogi, president of the All India Dish Aavishkaar Sangh, pleaded for greater clarity on incentives and the need for educating the cable operators about the benefits of digitisation.

Addressing a press meet later, Takru – who was accompanied on the dais by Joint Secretary Supriya Sahu and Sameer Manchanda who is a member of the Ficci Entertainment Committee – allayed fears of any shortage of digital set top boxes. He said Delhi needed 3.3 million STBs, of which 700,000 had been installed. Another one million was in stock and orders had been placed for 2.8 million. Thus, Delhi will have more STBs than it needs at present. He said that people should not wait till June to install their STBs.

He said it was unfortunate that vested interests were running a propaganda campaign against digitisation, which would help the consumer.

While he reiterated that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) would issue its tariff order by 31 March, he did not expect it to be higher than the present rates. In any case, he said Trai would only define the upper limit of the rates, and MSOs or cable operators were free to charge lower fee.

He said STBs would cost less than Rs 1000 and could be had on rent for as low as Rs 30 a month.

The must-carry clause for Doordarshan and Parliamentary channels would continue even after digitisation, he said in answer to a question.

Referring to creating awareness, he said All India Radio, Doordarshan and private channels were already carrying advertisements or scrolls relating to digitisation.

Asked about negative propaganda by DTH platforms, he said India had a free economy and every person was free to run campaigns to promote his or her own product in a healthy competitive environment.