ITV

Tag: Cisco

  • Cisco offers debt to cable operators, pushes Scientific Atlanta STBs

    Cisco offers debt to cable operators, pushes Scientific Atlanta STBs

    MUMBAI: Cable operators dry of cash for digital implementation can now look forward to Cisco Systems, Inc. The global networking equipment and network management giant is willing to finance cable operators in India as it sees opportunity in riding the digital cable wave to push its set-top boxes (STBs).

    There is a catch, though: operators will have access to the loan only if they use STBs from Scientific Atlanta, the company that Cisco acquired to bulk up on businesses that cater to consumers.

    The debt will be provided through its wholly owned subsidiary company, Cisco Capital.

    Cisco has approached several small and medium-sized operators in the Cas (conditional access system) areas, offering a variety of financing options. “We are willing to provide soft loans to cable operators which can be paid over a period of time. This way we can push our digital end-to-end solutions including headend, encryption system and boxes,” says a source in the company.

    The loan size will depend upon the credit worthiness of the operator and the funding will be made available in phases. “We won’t be funding the cable network in one go, but infuse it in several doses,” says the source.

    Cisco realises how tough it will be to evaluate the health of the cable networks. “Most of them do not have proper documents and it is difficult to rate their creditworthiness,” the source adds.

    Among the cable operators Cisco has initiated talks are Kolkata-based Manthan and JPR Network, an independent operator in Mumbai. But there are no takers yet.

    “We are more interested in equity than in debt. As we will have to subsidise the STBs, it will be very difficult to recover and repay the loan. The average revenue per user (ARPU) from Cas subscribers is also low. Besides, Scientific Atlanta boxes are more expensive than what is available in China and Korea,” says JPR Network promoter Raja Nadar.

    Cisco, however, believes its end-to-end digital solutions and the pressure cable operators face to put quality infrastructure in place will drive in good business. “There is just a 20 per cent difference between what we provide and what others are offering. But we have a better system and bridge an end-to-end requirement,” the source says.

    Rajan Raheja-promoted Hathway Cable & Datacom and Asianet are using the Scientific Atlanta headend, STBs and encryption system, the source adds. Hathway, in which Star has a 26 per cent stake, already has seeded Humax STBs and uses News Corp-owned NDS encryption systems.

    For Hathway, Scientific Atlanta is going to be a second supply vendor as the market for digital cable expands.

    Cisco acquired Scientific Atlanta so that it could tap the rapidly growing cable, satellite and IPTV markets across the world.

  • Nimbus receives Rs 5.5 billion from 3i, Cisco, Oman Fund

    Nimbus receives Rs 5.5 billion from 3i, Cisco, Oman Fund

    MUMBAI: Nimbus Communications Ltd. has attracted an investment of Rs 5.52 billion (approx $125 million) from 3i, Cisco and Oman Investment Fund (OIF).

    This marks 3i’s second round of investment in Nimbus, the entry of OIF into the Indian market and Cisco’s continued strategy to invest across the Indian content industry. 3i had invested $45 million in Nimbus 18 months back.

    The investment is in the form of compulsorily convertible bonds that will convert into equity based on a pre-set formula, prior to an IPO or trade sale.

    The funds will largely be deployed towards sports rights acquisitions, developing global sports events, financing Indian language and international film production and distribution, developing further digital content production for wireless and VOD/IPTV platforms and expanding the broadcasting operations of the company.

    Nimbus was advised in this transaction by London based Euromax Capital and Mumbai based Enam Financial Consultants.

    In the last quarter of 2006, Nimbus launched two pay TV sports channels, NEO Sports and NEO Sports Plus, which are exclusively distributed over cable and direct-to-home platforms by Star India.

  • Apple launches iPhone, Cisco lawsuit

    Apple launches iPhone, Cisco lawsuit

    MUMBAI: A day after Steve Jobs introduced the latest must have gizmo from Apple Inc – the iPhone – computer networking giant Cisco has announced that it has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court seeking to prevent Apple from infringing upon and deliberately copying and using Cisco’s registered iPhone trademark.

    With its lawsuit, Cisco is seeking injunctive relief to prevent Apple from copying Cisco’s iPhone trademark, informs an official release.
    “Cisco entered into negotiations with Apple in good faith after Apple repeatedly asked permission to use Cisco’s iPhone name,” said Cisco senior vice president and general counsel Mark Chandler. “There is no doubt that Apple’s new phone is very exciting, but they should not be using our trademark without our permission.

    “Today’s iPhone is not tomorrow’s iPhone. The potential for convergence of the home phone, cell phone, work phone and PC is limitless, which is why it is so important for us to protect our brand,” Chandler concluded.

    Cisco obtained the iPhone trademark in 2000 after completing the acquisition of Infogear, which previously owned the mark and sold iPhone products for several years. Infogear’s original filing for the trademark dates to 20 March 1996. Linksys, a division of Cisco, has been shipping a new family of iPhone products since early last year. On 18 December Linksys expanded the iPhone family with additional products.

    Apple fired back a rejoinder Wednesday claiming that several companies besides Cisco were currently using the iPhone brand name.

    “We believe that Cisco’s US trademark is tenuous at best,” Katie Cotton, Apple’s vice president for worldwide communications, has been quoted as saying. “We are the first company to use the iPhone name for a cellphone and we’re confident we will prevail.”

    How this case pans out will be closely watched but one certainty is that intellectual property lawyers will be laughing all the way to the bank as a consequence of this particular tussle.

  • Microsoft, Cisco, Motorola announce next generation STB

    Microsoft, Cisco, Motorola announce next generation STB

    MUMBAI: Software major Microsoft and set-top box manufacturers Cisco Systems, Motorola, Philips and Tatung have announced that advanced system-on-a-chip (SoC) set-tops are available.

    This product will the companies state enhance the Internet Protocol television (IPTV) user experience and is now available to support Microsoft IPTV Edition software platform deployments with leading telecommunications carriers worldwide.

    An integral part of the IPTV ecosystem, SoC set-tops will enable service providers to begin delivering high-definition TV (HDTV), digital video recording (DVR) and picture-in-picture functionalities as well as other advanced features in the future, enhancing consumers’ television-viewing experience.

    This new generation of SoC-based, HD-capable, IPTV-ready receivers makes it easier for service providers to deploy IPTV Edition more broadly, quickly and cost-efficiently while supporting exciting new TV services. The availability of these devices illustrates the continued innovation of Microsoft and its IPTV Edition ecosystem partners in the telecommunications and digital television industries.

    Microsoft TV division GM marketing Christine Heckart says, “The advent of system-on-a-chip set-tops is a key milestone for the IPTV industry. As our service provider customers are beginning worldwide deployments of IPTV Edition, and set-top partners are unveiling these advanced devices, consumers will be able to experience television in a new, exciting way. This milestone is a testament to the remarkable progress our IPTV ecosystem has made in just a few years, and it will pave the way for service providers to deliver richer TV services at a lower cost.”

    Cisco says that its proven history of IP innovation gives it IP expertise and successful IPTV deployments, which it is able to share with its service provider partners. Cisco IP set-top models, which will be deployed by customers including AT&T, support experience-enhancing features such as high-definition TV, DVR, integrated home networking over coax and user-friendly displays. Models are available with appropriate connectors and features for markets around the globe. Cisco offers models that include silicon from both Sigma Designs Inc. and STMicroelectronics.

    Motorola says that its heritage of invention for the connected home has resulted in over 48 million video entertainment devices being shipped to service providers worldwide. The company’s VIP series of SoC-based set-tops are engineered to meet the needs of service providers deploying the Microsoft IPTV Edition system. These solutions seamlessly bring the advanced IP services into any room in the house, including on-demand services, DVR and support for HDTV codecs, as well as forthcoming IPTV Edition features such as multiroom streaming and home media networking. Motorola VIP series set-tops are currently shipping in volume to leading providers worldwide, and the company has announced that AT&T will be the first service provider to commercially deploy these products.

    Philips has introduced a hybrid IPTV-DTT set-top box supporting Microsoft IPTV Edition with HDTV and DVR functionality based on the Sigma Designs 8634 chipset. This product will be launched by British Telecom later this year. Tatung meanwhile will introduce its STB2000 series SoC-enabled set-top boxes based on the Sigma Designs 8634 chipset later this year.

    The new STB2300 model is an entry-level IP set-top box that not only supports two high-definition decoding engines for MPEG2, H.264 and VC-1, providing decoding flexibility, but also supports advanced features including HDTV, video on demand (VOD) and high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

  • Content providers criticize proposed EU broadcasting rules

    Content providers criticize proposed EU broadcasting rules

    MUMBAI: ITV, BT Group, Vodafone, Yahoo, Intel and Cisco are leading an alliance among the media and technology companies that have teamed to criticize proposed European Union broadcasting rules that they believe will restrict the growth of new media formats.

    The European Commission is proposing that rules for traditional media be extended to new media, like content provided over broadband or mobile phones. Such regulations would include limits on hate speech, advertising and children-appropriate content.

    The alliance takes up the issue of proposed legislation that calls for mobile content and IPTV programming to abide by the same rules as that on traditional broadcasters. The consortium maintains that these rules-including restrictions on advertising-would inhibit investment in multiplatform content.

    “Citizen media such as blogs, videocasts and the like are one of the most exciting developments enabled by new technology,” the companies said in a statement. “This phenomenon has the potential to create new businesses … but this proposed regulation severely risks stunting its growth.”
    The EU didn’t respond to the group, but has repeatedly insisted that they don’t intend to regulate the internet. It would need the support of the European Parliament and 25 member governments in order to be approved.