Category: Software

MUMBAI: After the live webcast of the India Australia ODI series, CricketNirvana.com, a Nimbus Communications has announced that they would webcast the India – Sri Lanka Series live on the site free to Indian users.

Starting today , CricketNirvana.com would webcast the entire series which includes three tests, two T20s and five ODIs. 
 
Nimbus Communications VP – new media Sumit Luthra said, “We tasted great success in webcasting the India – Australia Series with over two million unique users visiting the site during the tournament. We aim at taking this further, far surpassing this number and creating a new benchmark in online content consumption with the India – Sri Lanka series.

“This has also been an extremely viable platform for brands to connect with their target audience and we are positive that this tour will be a success story not just for us but for our partners as well.” 
 
The live matches and video on demand would be available for viewing free to the Indian users whereas fans logging on from the rest of the world would have to pay a nominal rate for the same.

For those who can’t watch the matches live, Video on Demand would showcase match highlights, 4s and 6s and wicket packages to watch whenever you want. Complimenting this will be a live interactive scoreboard with features such as ball by ball commentary and statistical graphs – wagon wheels and spiders a single click away.

Columns by Anil Kumble and Mahela Jayawardene will also be available on the website.
 

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC and Nintendo UK have unveilled a new version of the popular BBC iPlayer on Nintendo‘s Wii platform.

First made available through the console‘s Internet channel in April 2008, BBC iPlayer will now be available as a dedicated Wii channel to provide Wii users with an experience of the BBC‘s TV and radio on-demand catch-up service. The new Wii Channel is expected to be available from 18 November.
 
Since BBC iPlayer first launched on the Nintendo Wii, there have been 900,000 requests for TV and radio programmes, and this new version of BBC iPlayer for Wii has been designed to deliver a better and higher quality experience, with a new full-screen user interface allowing the whole family to catch up on TV and radio together in the lounge, the company said in a release.

BBC Future Media & Technology director Erik Huggers says, “We‘re pleased that we‘ve been able to work with Nintendo to evolve BBC iPlayer on the Wii, providing a faster, high quality and improved viewing experience.

“It‘s important that we offer audiences more ways to access the huge range of BBC content available, and this improved version of BBC iPlayer underlines our commitment to reaching new audiences by making BBC iPlayer available on as many platforms as possible.” 
 
Nintendo UK GM David Yarnton adds, “Our partnership with the BBC is another way in which Nintendo is looking to broaden the market for its products by offering compelling and relevant content to families.

“BBC iPlayer offers Wii owners another reason to turn their console on everyday and adds to the already established non-gaming content on Wii that includes Wii channels for news, weather forecasts and an internet browser.”

To use the new BBC iPlayer on Nintendo‘s Wii, Wii users have to download the BBC iPlayer Wii channel from the menu screen of Wii Shop Channel. Once downloaded, users simply click on the BBC iPlayer icon to launch the new full screen service, then select and play their favourite BBC TV or radio programme that they want to watch.
 

MUMBAI: Brightcove has announced the general availability of Brightcove 4, a new release of the online video platform with enhancements that aim to empower customers to maximize the quality, reach and business impact of online video across desktops and devices.

Brightcove 4 introduces new features, including support for native iPhone video application development, expanded live streaming capabilities, advanced analytics, and new resources for video distribution, monetisation and custom online video applications.
 
Brightcove has also introduced the new Brightcove Express edition to bring the power and flexibility of the leading online video platform within reach for all website projects, no matter how large or small. Brightcove Express is priced starting at $99 dollars per month with no annual contract. 
 
Brightcove chairman, CEO Jeremy Allaire says, “As video becomes pervasive on the Web, publishers face increasingly complex and demanding requirements that often span multiple use-cases and devices. Brightcove 4 provides a powerful and extensible suite of new services that make it easy for customers to execute three-screen strategies and generate additional value from online video through new distribution and monetization opportunities. And with Brightcove Express, the Brightcove 4 platform is accessible for any size organization and projects of any scope.”

MUMBAI: The number of US broadband households watching premium online content, including movies and TV shows via the Internet, doubled in the last year, according to a new study from Parks Associates.

Currently over 25 million US broadband households regularly watch full-length TV shows online, while over 20 million watch movies online.
 
Titled Broadband, Communications and Entertainment Bundles, the report states that the growing popularity of online portals such as Hulu.com shows rapid growth in the number of viewers who use the Internet to watch long-tail and premium content. This shift highlights the opportunity for service providers to extend their current pay-TV and video-on-demand services to include online and mobile video features. 
 
In fact, providers will have to embrace online video services, including the ability to deliver content across multiple platforms, if they are to remain competitive and attract new subscribers.

Parks Associates research analyst Jayant Dasari says, “Consumer interest in time-shifting content through online portals has increased significantly. Households today watch full-length television shows over the Internet. Enabling access to content anytime through any broadband-enabled device will be a significant challenge for the service providers. However, broadband video opens new revenue channels and opportunities to upgrade subscribers into higher tiers of services.”

The next step, according to Dasari, is for content owners and distributors to come to a consensus on business models so that they can monetise consumer interest in online media.

MUMBAI: Starcom IP today announced it has won the digital marketing account for Tata Indicom in India.

Tata Indicom is the CDMA telecom brand of Tata Teleservices.

Starcom IP has started working with Tata Indicom with immediate effect and is responsible for online media planning and buying, establishing Tata Teleservices presence in the social media, and online reputation management.
 
Tata Teleservices CMO Lloyd Mathias said, “We are glad Starcom IP is coming onboard to help our digital marketing initiatives. We are confident they will add value and create engaging digital content to enhance the Tata Indicom brand‘s presence, perception and penetration amongst the digital community.”

Starcom MediaVest Group chief digital officer, North and South Asia Pushkar Sane says, “It is a significant win for us and we‘re delighted to work with Tata Teleservices. We are committed to bringing best-in-class digital thinking to the brand and ensure Tata Indicom stands out in the online space.” 
 
The team is led by Starcom IP, India National Strategy Director Suyesh Shankar. Starcom IP is the digital marketing practice of Starcom MediaVest Group. It was formed in recognition of the reality that Internet calls for a new Protocol in approaching Marketing, Communications and Media.

Starcom IP provides end to end services in the Digital Marketing space with a focus on key platforms like Search, Video, Social, and Mobile. It leverages several proprietary SMG tools like IntenTrack, Brand Sirens, Contact Destinations and VivaKi Nerve Center tools like Click2Sales, Marketing Navigator, Benchtools and Listening Studio.

MUMBAI: Zee Turner Ltd, a joint venture company between Zee and Turner, is targeting a revenue of Rs 10 billion this fiscal on the back of a faster growth from DTH while pay-TV income from cable TV stays strong.

In the earlier fiscal, Zee Turner had clocked Rs 7.5 billion after adding Ten Sports into its distribution bouquet. Zee Turner has the widest bouquet of channels, distributing 33 pay and two free-to-air channels.
 
“We are targeting Rs 10 billion this fiscal, up from Rs 7.5 billion in the prior year,” a source tells Indiantelevision.com

When contacted, Zee Turner CEO Dinesh Jain declined to comment on the financials but said the company had set ambitious targets. “We will see significant organic growth this year. We will get high double digit growth from cable TV while DTH will give us faster growth,” he added.

The pay-TV revenue mix is loaded in favour of cable TV but this could change in the next few years. “For pay-TV broadcasters, 70 per cent of their revenues comes from cable TV. The industry could see an equal split in pay-TV broadcasting revenues between direct-to-home (DTH) and cable TV after two years,” Jain said.
 
Adding channels in the bouquet would form a part of Zee Turner‘s growth strategy. “We plan to have 50 channels in our portfolio within two years,” says Jain.

Regionalisation will be a big growth driver for Zee Turner. “We have very strong regional channels. Even in the south, Zee Telugu has seen remarkable growth. We are also having a bouquet of regional news channels,” says Jain.

MUMBAI: Starting with the launch of Deal or No Deal Live! on Facebook in the UK this month, Endemol has rolled out a new social game based on game-show format Deal or No Deal.

Deal or No Deal Live! will be free to play, funded by advertising and sponsorship.

The game will allow multiple players to compete against each other at the same time with the same boxes. Unlike the TV version, that has one game with one set of boxes, Deal or No Deal Live! is played over four games with different boxes. 
 
Players must try to make the best deal possible in each game and the winner would be whoever has the most money at the end of the four cycles.

This is the first time Endemol has entered the social gaming market. Plans are expected for similar projects with other global formats.  
 
Deal or No Deal Live! will be followed by further launches in other territories and on other social networks in 2010.
 

MUMBAI: Dharma Productions, in association with Hungama Digital Media, has launched the digital promotions for its upcoming film Kurbaan.

This is the first time that Dharma Productions has launched an online game for promoting its movie digitally. The game is also available for users on their mobile device.

The digital promotions of Kurbaan give the audiences a sneak preview into the secret mission lead by Saif‘s character in the film. 
 
The PC and mobile game developed for Kurbaan revolves around the secret mission which invites the audience to join Saif Ali Khan‘s squad. The winner will be rewarded with exclusive wallpapers and ringtones.

The campaign also includes the launch of a social networking application (SNS) for users of Facebook and Orkut.

The social networking application, ‘New York Rush,‘ is built around an integral portion of the film, where Saif‘s character is in the process of recruiting talented drivers for his squad.

Users will have a chance to play a Rookie Driver attempting to race against time and diffuse bombs across the city of New York. Successful completion of the mission will ensure the winner a place on Saif‘s squad who‘s mission is to avert a major calamity. 
 
Commenting on the initiatives, Hungama Digital Media MD and CEO Neeraj Roy said, “The theme of Kurbaan is a perfect setting for an interactive digital campaign. These campaigns give the audience a chance to experience the thrilling aspects of a movie before it hits the silver screen.”

Said Johar, “Today, ‘digital‘ has become a medium to connect worldwide audiences with the stars and movie concepts. With the digital campaign for Kurbaan, we want to establish connect with the audience and get them involved with the movie even before it releases. Through our association with Hungama, we will be at every digital touch point for the consumer over mobile and internet.”

The mobile game will be available for users across telecom operators in India, while the PC game is available on Gaming Hungama.
 

MUMBAI: Al Jazeera Network has launched its English language global news service on the Austar Pay TV platform in Australia that will start functioning on 15 November.

The move will expand Al Jazeera English‘s distribution reach to over 180 million households globally.
 
Al Jazeera English will be joining 40 other channels available in the Austar starter package that has a subscriber base of 739,000 throughout regional Australia currently.

Said Al Jazeera Director of Global Distribution Phil Lawrie, “We‘re excited by the fact that this launch helps carry our channel to a global distribution reach of over 180 million households – a particularly notable statistic in that we have now added 100 million homes to Al Jazeera‘s distribution in the three years since the channel‘s launch.” 
 
Added Austar CEO John Porter, “With the addition of Al Jazeera English to our Starter Package, Australians will now be able to enjoy a wide and diverse range of international news viewpoints and discourses.”
 

MUMBAI: John Malone-controlled Liberty Global is buying out Unitymedia, Germany‘s second largest operator, for a total consideration of $5.2 billion.

Liberty will buy 100 per cent of the shares of Unitymedia for $3 billion.
 
According to the deal, Liberty will also inherit the $2.2 billion debt of Unitymedia, which is owned by a group of shareholders led by BC Partners and Apollo Management of New York.

The total consideration is, thus, $5.2 billion, excluding transaction costs, and represents a purchase price multiple of approximately 7.4 times of Unitymedia’s 2010 Adjusted EBITDA1 under IFRS accounting standards.

Taking into consideration the estimate of the annual impact of synergies that may be realised following the full integration of the acquisition, the effective purchase price multiple would be approximately 6.6 times 2010 Adjusted EBITDA. Completion of the transaction is expected to occur in the first half of 2010 and is subject to regulatory approval.
 
Unitymedia‘s cable footprint, passing 8.8 million homes, covers ten of the 20 largest cities in Germany, including Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Frankfurt.

Says Liberty Global president, CEO Mike Fries, “We are excited about this transaction as it complements our existing European footprint and has significant untapped growth potential
in one of the fastest growing cable markets in Europe. The addition of Unitymedia not only enhances our European presence, but adds significant scale to our global operations, as our footprint, including Unitymedia, will exceed 40 million homes.”