Category: Software

MUMBAI: Pace has raced ahead. The digital set top box (STB) manufacturer has zipped ahead of Motorola, emerging as the No 1 company to ship STBs globally to pay-TV customers in 2009. This is the preliminary finding of a study conducted by UK-based IMS Research’s “The World Market for Set-top Boxes and iDTVs” which is slated to be released soon.

As per the research report, the top five STB manufacturers for 2009 are: Pace, Motorola, Technicolor (formerly Thomson), Scientific Atlanta/Cisco, and Humax.

“Motorola’s position is attributed to its leadership in the cable sector whilst Technicolor’s focus and leadership continues to be in the satellite sector,” the report clarifies.
 
Last year Pace was in third place behind US-based Motorola and French company Technicolor. But Pace has notched the top spot with a 31 per cent increase in shipments over the year ago period.

The co-author of the study Rebecca Kurlak says, “Pace’s position as the 2009 market share leader can not only be attributed to the company’s December 2007 acquisition of Philips’ STB business, but also due to the company’s continued organic growth. The Philips division, now Pace France, operates as a division that focuses on IP, DTT and linear TV services. This additional facility has allowed Pace’s headquarters in England to remain focused on traditional TV platforms and NDS CAS clients.” 
 
For 2010, IMS Research expects Pace to remain in the top ranking position due to its recent partnership announcements of high definition roll outs for Benelux satellite operator M7 Group and Malaysian satellite operator Astro, in addition to its large contract agreements with DirecTV, UPC and Viasat.

IMS Research‘s report also says the market for STBs is notching up healthy growth as newer nations ramp up to digital. It has estimated that STB shipments grew 15.2 percent year-on-year on a global basis from 2008 to 2009.

The study provides detailed analysis of STB shipments and revenues for 68 countries – and is considered to be the most comprehensive report on the market.

TV households are split by region, country, platform, operator, and digital penetration rate. STB shipments and revenues are broken down by SD/HD picture quality, one-way/two-way data receiving, and by DVR functionality. The report will be published by the end of May 2010.

MUMBAI: Zapak.com, the online gaming portal from reliance ADAG, has tied up with Vinod Chopra Films (VCF) to develop their digital marketing strategy.

As a part of the strategy, Zapak has conceptualised and created the official corporate website for VCF.
 
Zapak is also the online partner for VCF‘s forthcoming films Broken Horses and Ferrari Ki Sawari. Its social media arm Zapak Social Connect will strategise and implement social media solutions for VCF across mediums like Facebook, Orkut, Twitter, in addition to Wikipedia and IMDB. 
 
Zapak Digital Entertainment CEO Rohit Sharma said, “Zapak is a leader in the digital space and we believe that there is a huge potential for digital marketing of films in India. Today the audience is evolved and explores the digital space to connect with their favourite stars and movies.”

Zapak had also overseen the digital marketing of 3 Idiots and plan to extend its experience and learning‘s to the upcoming films of VCF.

NEW DELHI: After the highly successful conclusion of the 3G auction, the auction for Bandwidth Access (BWA) has commenced with a pan-India total of Rs 23.53 billion. The base price for BWA is Rs 17.5 billion.

Seven service centres – Delhi, Mumbai, rest of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu – closed their bids on the first day after five rounds on Monday, with Rs 2.33 billion.
 
Kolkata and Punjab had bids of Rs 878.4 million each while Kerala had a bid of Rs 763.9 million. West Uttar Pradesh had a bid of Rs 729.2 million, with Eastern Uttar Pradesh at Rs 649 million and Madhya Pradesh at Rs 624.2 million.

Haryana, Rajasthan, and West Bengal had bids of Rs 600 million each. Bihar had a bid of Rs 151.5 million while the service centres of Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Assam, North-east, and Jammu & Kashmir had bids of Rs 150 million each. 
 
The service providers in the race are Aircel, Augere (Mauritius) Limited, Bharti Airtel, Infotel Broadband Services Private Limited, Qualcomm Incorporated, Reliance WiMax Limited, Spice Internet Service, Provider Private Limited, Tata Communications Internet Services Limited, Tikona Digital Networks Private Limited and Vodafone Essar Limited.

The successful bidders would be allowed to start commercial operations from 1 September.

NEW DELHI: Even as Telecom Secretary P J Thomas was elected Chairman of the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference which opened today in Hyderabad, there was a unanimous call from all speakers to meet the connectivity targets by 2015.

This high-level global meeting will focus on development priorities in telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICT) and agree on the programmes, projects and initiatives to implement them.
 
Communications and Information Technology Minister A Raja said ICTs can facilitate faster development of various social and economic sectors in any country. ICTs lead to equal opportunities for all mankind, especially perceptible improvement for the most vulnerable parts of society in rural and remote areas, contributing to the inclusive growth of society, he added.

The Minister noted India’s impressive growth in the field of software development and in the applications of space technology which are aimed at national development in areas like communication, broadcasting, distance education, earth exploration services, and space sciences. Mr Raja hoped that increased general awareness among the masses created by the knowledge society would bring enhanced global peace, justice and respect for each other, which are the corner stones for the elimination of disparity and poverty worldwide.

ITU Secretary-General Dr. Hamadoun Touré said ‘what is decided and defined here over the next two weeks will shape not just the future of ICT development over the next four years, but the future shape of the very world we live in. It will change the way in which social, economic and ICT development happens, he added.  
 
Appreciating India’s ICT success story, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau Director Sami Al Basheer said India is a remarkable place for ITU to hold the World Telecommunication Development Conference. He said India has shown, in very concrete and dramatic terms, the power of ICTs to stimulate social and economic development. He added that while each country has its own challenges to face, in the end overall goals are the same. Emphasizing need to constantly innovate and keep up with dynamics in the market place, Mr. Al Basheer said for future needs better targeted and more positive regulation has to be invented that focuses on incentives rather than obligations. He proposed a new vision complemented with dedicated resources to deal with the issues of connectivity in least developed countries.
In his opening remarks, Conference Chairman Thomas said the world now acknowledges that technological progress and innovations are long term drivers of economic growth, especially in developing countries. As a key technology producer, ICT has contributed to a positive macroeconomic impact in GDP growth besides providing spillovers and externalities which are bringing enormous benefits for the economy. New services generated by ICT in the forms of e-commerce, e-finance, and e-governance are contributing towards greater economic efficiency while raising the living standard of citizens.”

The World Telecommunication Development Conference is convened every four years. In Hyderabad edition, one thousand two hundred and twenty six delegates from 142 member countries of ITU are participating in the conference.

The Delegations from six countries are led by the Ministers. Discussions at WTDC-10 in Hyderabad will focus on Broadband connectivity, Digital broadcasting, Open source software, Cyber security, E-accessibility for people with disabilities, E-applications including health, Human capacity building, Emergency communications and ICT policy and regulation.

MUMBAI: True Games, an international publisher of multi-player online games, has announced that it will immediately begin operating under the name UTV True Games. UTV Software Communications Ltd (UTV) holds a majority strategic stake in the company.
 
All of the company‘s management, operations and development remain in place. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas where it has a product development studio in addition to its publishing operations. It also has a development studio in Beijing, China.  
 
The compan is working on an unannounced MMO project. The company‘s Asian development studio Beijing supports the ongoing development of the company‘s first product, Warrior Epic, in addition to the current development of its second title.

UTV True Games will continue to pursue and utilize the talents of external development studios such as its partner, Petroglyph, which is developing the mythology-based game, Mytheon.

MUMBAI: Reliance Big TV has enhanced its official website in a bid to use it as an effective marketing tool that will help garner new customers as well as to promote VAS to existing customers.
 
The new site‘s launch has been strategically timed with the launch of Reliance BIG TV‘s HD DVR service to give the brand quotient a fillip in the space of internet advocacy. 
 
Three new applications have been introduced in the new site:-
– Product Calculator/Comparator: This will help customers to explore the packages and let them create their channel package.

– Program Guide: This application will enable HD DVR users to schedule recordings online.
 

MUMBAI: Toei Animation Europe has launched its series, Dragon Ball Z and Saint Seiya, on French Internet providers Orange and SFR’s Video-on-Demand (Vod) platforms.

Both series are French uncensored and re-mastered versions.
 
The shows are available on Orange‘s PC and IPTV VOD service, 24/24 Video. The two series are also distributed through Club Video and SFR’s IPTV VOD service.
 
Toei Animation Europe MD Kanji Kazahaya says, “We are thrilled to conclude these deals with two of the most important French Internet providers. Toei Animation series are now available on the VOD platforms of the main Internet providers in France.”
 

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) Networks – Asia, has announced that from Monday 25 May, the new channel, AXN HD will be made available to viewers in Singapore on the pay TV platform StarHub.

SPE operates pay-TV channel brands AXN, AXN Beyond and Animax. 
 
The new channel will be part of its Entertainment Basic Group. The channel is being positioned as one that ‘Wows!‘ through first-run action, adventure, drama, reality-TV and all-round unparalleled entertainment.

Content will include the new investigative action drama series from the US, NCIS: Los Angeles, starring Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool, the CSI crime and investigation franchise including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: NY and CSI: Miami.

SPE Networks – Asia senior VP, GM Ricky Ow says, “We believe launching AXN HD is a vital step to retaining viewer loyalty and maintaining our leading position. Going HD is a natural progression, for many of our Singapore viewers already own an HD TV set.

“AXN HD will provide the top quality visual experience that viewers now seek, with AXN’s distinctive brand of action and adventure, high-impact and world class entertainment presented in utmost clarity.” 
 
StarHub VP of home solutions Ong Bee Lian says, “As demand changes with technology advancement, StarHub continues to enhance our services and offer viewers not just popular, but also high definition quality programmes for their viewing pleasures.”

NEW DELHI: The auction for 3G, which was concluded on the 34th day (19 May) with the pan-India figure at the end of 183 rounds today being Rs 167,505.8 million, has been approved by the Government.
 
The total revenue to the exchequer is expected to be Rs.677,189.5 million. The government had hoped to collect Rs.35,000 million after auctioning the airwaves for both 3G services and broadband, even as the bidding for the latter is expected to commence on 22 May. Thus, the pan-India licence has gone up by nearly 378.58 percent over the base price. Frequencies in MHz were also allocated to the successful bidders.

The winning firms will have to deposit the money within 10 days from now and will be allowed to offer 3G services on a commercial basis from Sep 1.
Global investment bank Rothschild and telecom auction services provider dot.econ advised the government on the auctions. 
 
Meanwhile, the Government today announced that the auction for bandwidth (BWA) will commence on 24 May.

Communication and Information Technology Ministry sources said Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd which have already been issued airwaves for 3G services will also have to pay this winner‘s price, collectively pegged at Rs.167,505.8 million. Jammu and Kashmir had the lowest bid at Rs.303 million.
 

MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a directive to search engines in India, namely Google, Yahoo and MSN, stating that they are no longer allowed to advertise links pertaining to sex determination tests.
 
Sex selection kits when advertised are often bought online and in an effort to curb this, the Health Ministry requested the I&B Ministry to direct all search engines to filter this information.
 
Google however, claims that they do not allow ads for promotion of prenatal gender determination as it is illegal in India. They contractually require their advertisers to comply with applicable laws in order to ensure that no illegal ads are shown when a user searches for those particular search terms.