ITV

Tag: EMEA

  • Ericsson to acquire Microsoft’s IPTV biz Mediaroom

    Ericsson to acquire Microsoft’s IPTV biz Mediaroom

    MUMBAI: Ericsson has reached an agreement with Microsoft to acquire its TV solution Mediaroom business. The acquisition, Ericsson believes, will make it one of the leading providers of IPTV and multi-screen solutions with a market share of over 25 per cent.

    Mediaroom is situated in Mountain View, California and employs more than 400 people worldwide. Ericsson expects to close the acquisition during the second half of 2013.

    Ericsson SVP and Head of Business Unit Support Solutions Per Borgklint said, “Ericsson‘s vision of the Networked Society foresees 50 billion devices to be connected via broadband, mobility and cloud. Future video distribution will have a similar impact on consumer behavior and consumption as mobile voice has had. This acquisition contributes to a leading position for Ericsson with more than 40 customers, serving over 11 million subscriber households. In addition, Ericsson will be powered with senior competence and some of the most talented people within the field of IPTV distribution.”

    The global IPTV market is estimated to reach 76 million subscribers in 2013 with revenues of $32 billion growing to 105 million subscribers and $45 billion in 2015.

    “Mediaroom is the leading platform for video distribution deployed with the world‘s largest IPTV operators. This strategic acquisition positions Ericsson as an industry leader thanks to the skills and experiences of the talented people of Mediaroom combined with Ericsson‘s end to end service capabilities,” Borgklint concluded.

    The total media solution portfolio of Ericsson in the TV and video space combined with a further increased focus on consumer needs will be the foundation for providing services to end users. The importance of video distribution capabilities for the customers and their consumers will be increasing as more and more LTE networks are deployed and filled with smartphone users.

    “We are proud of the number one IPTV market position that we have achieved with Mediaroom. Ericsson‘s complementary portfolio of TV and networking services will help drive the future growth and development of Mediaroom,” said Microsoft Corporation Corporate VP Tom Gibbons. “Ericsson is positioned to be a valuable strategic partner for operators and TV service providers around the world as the IPTV market evolves.”

    Microsoft Mediaroom is the TV technology behind many of the world‘s leading television service providers like AT&T U-verse, Entertain of Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, TELUS Optik TV(TM) and Swisscom. Mediaroom-powered TV services are offered on more than 22 million set top boxes deployed throughout the Americas, EMEA and APAC.

    Ericsson already sees that the ever-changing behaviors of TV consumers are evolving faster than ever. Speed of innovation and intelligent solutions drive consumer propositions in TV anywhere. This development will continue to fuel the industry as convergence becomes reality. The development requires content owners, broadcasters, TV service providers and operators to re-think their propositions.

  • Net-a-porter.com names Media Contacts, MPG as media AoR

    Net-a-porter.com names Media Contacts, MPG as media AoR

    MUMBAI: Online luxury retailer Net-A-Porter has selected Havas Media‘s MPG and Media Contacts as its media agencies of record for the EMEA and APAC region.

    MPG and Media Contacts, offline and online companies respectively, will handle the online retailer‘s media duties across key global markets in EMEA and APAC. 
     
    Havas Digital global CEO Anthony Rhind said, “We have invested a great amount of resources to ensure our delivery and service is leading edge across geographies, and that the value of Artemis, our proprietary digital campaign management platform, enables the maximisation of media across channels.”

    Net-a-porter.com was launched in June 2000 and has since established itself as premier luxury online fashion retailer. Presented in the style of a fashion magazine, Net-A-Porter features collections from over 400 designers including Chloé, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Miu Miu and Stella McCartney among others.

  • BBC World to launch ‘The Real Cities’

    MUMBAI: BBC World in association with InterContinental Hotels and Resorts will launch a five-part series called The Real Cities. Starting on 17 November, the first episode will feature London.

    The travelogue will provide an insider’s guide to places that include London, Sydney, New York, Tokyo and Paris through the eyes of their residents. Three locals from each city will take viewers on a tour of individual favourite spots.

    The programmes will feature Serpentine Gallery director Julia Peyton-Jones in London, model and handbag designer Alek Wek in New York, fashion designer Colette Dinnigan in Sydney and Olivier Picasso in Paris.

    BBC World vice president, sales EMEA and North America Carolyn Gibson said, “So many travel programmes simply show the clichéd tourist sights, and neglect to go behind the scenes to find the hidden treasures of a city that the locals enjoy. The Real Cities is a groundbreaking new series for BBC World, which interviews the famous residents from five major international cities to truly give our viewers an insider’s point of view. We are very proud of this series and hope that our viewers enjoy the insights it offers.”

    InterContinental Hotels & Resorts senior vice president, global brand management Jenifer Zeigler said, “We’re thrilled to partner with BBC World to bring The Real Cities to life. The InterContinental brand has always believed in providing our guests with authentic and enriching experiences when they visit one of our destinations. The interviews and insider content provided by The Real Cities is a perfect fit for our customers who live to travel.”

  • Ericsson, Turner to develop international mobile services

    Ericsson, Turner to develop international mobile services

    MUMBAI: Ericsson and Turner Broadcasting System International have formed a collaboration under which the users of mobile services and mobile operators will benefit from the companies’ leading positions in mobility and global multimedia content.

    The two parties are collaborating to develop Turner’s internet, broadcast news and entertainment content – including CNN International, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim material – for mobile multimedia environments. The offering combines the delivery of Turner news and entertainment content with hosting and content management technology, developed by Ericsson.

    The first of these jointly developed services will launch in Europe on 12 February 2007 at the 3GSM World Congress trade fair in Barcelona, bringing a new CNN Mobile service to the users initially in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

    The initial product launch – CNN Mobile – and subsequent launches in this collaboration will make technologically advanced multimedia content available to users in two ways. Firstly, mobile operators will be able to deliver simple access to Turner content through their own branded portals; additionally, end users will have access to content such as the CNN Mobile site directly on their mobile devices.

    Turner Broadcasting senior VP, digital media Casey Harwood says, “With this deal, we will have for the first time a full portfolio of solutions – from SMS through to mobile television – that will scale and easily move across the world. This partnership is a logical fit where the customer and mobile operators benefit through Turner focussing on providing innovative news and entertainment content to its global audience and Ericsson providing the technology behind it.”

    Ericsson senior VP, head of multimedia Jan Wäreby says, “Our service-provider customers throughout the world will greatly benefit from our partnership with Turner Broadcasting, as they will be able to provide popular mobile multimedia content from Turner’s vast catalogue and greatly enhance the multimedia experience for the consumer.

    The CNN Mobile product will be the first example of a true ’off-deck’ portal for mobile users, providing a state-of-the-art news service. A searchable archive of 14 days and over 2000 stories will sit with breaking news alerts and video news updates through the hourly updated ’World News Now’. Available to CNN users in EMEA and Latin America subscription free, the service will be accessible through CNNmobile.com in all mobile browsers or through operator portals where deals are in place.

    The mobile services being developed include intelligent software that enables devices to show only the actual content that is appropriate to the particular handset, resulting in a richer user experience. The services will be rolled out to further territories and both Turner and Ericsson have committed to further product launches throughout 2007.

    The partnership also extends beyond content development, and will have on screen elements on CNN International in a campaign that positions Ericsson as the global leading communications technology company.

  • Philippe Cardon to head Warner’s home video ops globally

    Philippe Cardon to head Warner’s home video ops globally

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Time Warner has announced that Philippe Cardon will head its home video operations globally. He is Warner Home Video (WHV) president, international. The announcment was made by WHV president Ron Sanders.

    Cardon will be responsibile for all WHV territories outside the US, with the exception of Canada. This is a newly formed position for WHV.
    Cardon was earlier WHV executive VP and GM Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

    The heads of the WHV regional offices (EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America) and the heads of the International Functional departments (International Marketing & Sales, International Supply Chain Management, and International Finance) will now report to Cardon.

    Sanders says, “Philippe has over 20 years of industry experience and has played a central role in the growth of WHV. Aligning International under one person will improve consistency, coordination and best practices across all the countries. This is particularly important with our maturing DVD business, and in the context of the launch of new technologies like High Definition and Electronic Delivery.” Cardon will continue reporting to Sanders.

  • Tandberg TV to beef up Asian IPTV business

    Tandberg TV to beef up Asian IPTV business

    MUMBAI: Tandberg TV is set to build on its business and technology in the Asian IPTV video head-end market with a demonstration of its full suite of live, on-demand and interactive solutions at IPTV World Forum Asia 2006 (stand 83), which runs 27 September – 29 September in Shanghai.

    The event will give delegates the chance to see why the annual IPTV leadership report, published earlier this month by the Multimedia Research Group (MRG), ranked Tandberg Television as the leading IP video head-end supplier in Asia, as well as in EMEA and rest of world.

    Worldwide Tandberg Television claims to have been involved in more than 160xDSL and FTTH deployments and there are over 2 million subscribers currently viewing IPTV due to the company’s technology, states an official release.

    “Asia has always been a very important market for us,” says Tandberg Television Asia Pacific EVP & GM Graham Cradock. “According to research from In-Stat the Asia-Pacific IP video services market will grow nearly 80 per cent per year between now and 2010, with Asia accounting for half of all worldwide IPTV subscribers by the end of 2009. We’ve been working with IPTV operators in the region for over five years and our market-leading technology is allowing telcos to deploy IPTV services right across the continent, from Dubai to Osaka and from Delhi to Shanghai.”

    Tandberg Television EVP Corporate Development Jim Olson will deliver a keynote speech: Beyond IPTV – Why Plain Old Television Won’t Cut it for Telcos at 9:10 on 29 September at IPTV World Forum Asia.

  • Tandberg Television appoints Emmanuel Boureau as sales VP, EMEA

    Tandberg Television appoints Emmanuel Boureau as sales VP, EMEA

    MUMBAI: In a move designed to further strengthen and expand its leadership position in Europe, the Middle East amd Africa (EMEA), Tandberg Television has appointed Emmanuel Boureau as VP of Sales for the region.

    Reporting to Eric Baron, Tandberg Television’s EMEA president, Boureau will be responsible for managing and growing the company’s direct and indirect sales channels in EMEA. He will lead the introduction of advanced compression, on-demand and interactive content solutions to cable, satellite, terrestrial and telco operators across the region, states an official release.

    Boureau joins Tandberg Television having spent the past eight years at Harmonic, most recently as European director of sales and pre-sales. Prior to his time at Harmonic, Boureau had a distinguished sales career within the computer industry where he held senior positions at the Digital Equipment Corporation and sales engineering positions at ITT Data Systems.

    “Tandberg Television is the clear leader in the European video compression space and continues to make first-to-market moves that strengthen and secure its pole position. With a best-in-class combination of solutions for IP, HD, on-demand and interactive television, Tandberg Television is in a unique position to help content owners, programmers and network operators leverage new digital media opportunities. Joining Tandberg Television provides me with a senior management role in which I can use my digital television experience as part of a dynamic, winning team,” says Boureau.

    “Emmanuel is an impressive operator with a strong sales track record and exceptional experience of driving a multicultural dispersed sales team. He has a solid understanding of the technology and commercial drivers in the digital television industry that will be of great benefit to Tandberg Television customers. I am delighted that he is joining to lead our EMEA sales team and looking forward to working closely with him as we continue to accelerate our leadership position in the region,” says Baron.

  • Buena Vista Intl TV EMEA appoints Taylor as VP legal & business affairs

    Buena Vista Intl TV EMEA appoints Taylor as VP legal & business affairs

    MUMBAI: Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) EMEA has appointed Simon Taylor as vice president legal and business affairs. This was announced by BVITV EMEA executive vice president and managing director Tom Toumazis and Disney senior vice president and European general counsel Peter Wiley.

    In this London-based role, Taylor will be responsible for managing all legal and business affairs for BVITV’s television and new media distribution business. Within this, he will work closely with both Toumazis and Wiley, and will manage a BVITV legal and business affairs team of 11 based in London and Paris. He will also become a member of BVITV’s executive team.

    Taylor will join BVITV next month from his role as business consultant to a range of clients in the entertainment broadcasting, production and distribution sectors. Prior to this, he was HIT Entertainment’s legal and business affairs director from 2000 to 2002. Before that he was at BBC TV Programme Acquisition as head of business and legal affairs from 1994 to 2000.

    Toumazis said, “I’m delighted that someone with Simon’s experience and knowledge of the industry will help us manage the number of business opportunities and legal issues we face in the industry, including emerging new technology platforms and assisting with our continued efforts against piracy.”

    Wiley added, “Simon’s extensive track record of in-house legal experience in the international media industry will prove invaluable for our whole company.”

    “I’m excited to be joining such a dynamic business and looking forward to working with the team to further success, working with the great content BVITV has, and helping take advantage of the opportunities that the market has to offer,” said Taylor.