ITV

Tag: Oliver Sturrock

  • Open TV comes out with integrated solutions for mobile TV

    Open TV comes out with integrated solutions for mobile TV

    MUMBAI: OpenTV, which provides enabling technologies for advanced digital television services and mobile technology firm weComm, have announced a partnership.

    They will provide integrated mobile television solutions to OpenTV’s worldwide pay TV customer base and to other broadcasters and programmers interested in providing an experience across traditional broadcast television and mobile TV.

    OpenTV senior VP and MD Europe, Middle east and Africa Ben Bennett says, “We are delighted that we will be able to offer a seamless solution to our customers that bridges the pay TV experience with the mobile phone experience in a user-friendly manner.

    “This integrated solution is intended to make it easy for our customers to extend their TV experience across multiple platforms and devices, and to allow those viewers to personalise that experience in ever more compelling ways. One simple example of this Mobile TV is to enable OpenTV’s PVR users to record programmes seamlessly and remotely from the mobile handset.”
    The integrated solution combines features and functionalities from OpenTV’s advanced digital television software, in particular its middleware offering, and weComm’s wave technology. The solution extends OpenTV’s middleware features into the mobile environment, allowing direct access on the mobile phone to electronic programming guides (EPGs) that have been ported to OpenTV’s platform.

    The solution also enables mobile phone users to remotely programme their PVRs and to view live or on-demand television programming by navigating through the EPG resident on their phone.

    weComm COO Oliver Sturrock says, “Integrating weComm’s Interactive Mobile TV technology with OpenTV’s industry-leading technologies offers a solution that will seamlessly extend TV-based interactive services to the mobile phone. We think that these solutions will help broadcasters and operators extend their content and services to a younger and more mobile audience.

    “And we think that by combining OpenTV’s and weComm’s expertise and technologies, we can do that in an effective and seamless way that will eventually lead the market.”
    The weComm solution is available on Symbian OS, Microsoft Windows Mobile and Java phones and has been ported to over 100 handsets, including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung, LG and the RIM Blackberry.

  • BSkyB launches Sky+ remote record service enabled by weComm technology

    BSkyB launches Sky+ remote record service enabled by weComm technology

    MUMBAI: BSkyB, the UK’s leading provider of pay-TV services, has launched its Sky+ remote record service using weComm’s wave platform. It enables customers to maximise the value of their content by providing sophisticated, personalised services for mobile devices.

    Sky customers will be able to set their Sky+ to record their favourite shows using a mobile phone – either by sending a text message or with Sky by mobile. If they have downloaded the Sky by mobile application they can view Sky’s seven-day TV guide on their phone and select programmes to record. The guide they see on their phone looks similar to Sky’s light blue on-screen guide and enables people to browse listings and view programme details on the move.

    Sky by mobile is available on a large range of handsets, including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and the RIM Blackberry, according to an official release.

    weComm COO Oliver Sturrock commented: “This is the first time that TV viewers will be able to remotely record their favourite programmes using a mobile phone from anywhere in the world.

    “We started working with Sky two years ago. We are constantly looking at ways to improve our technology to adapt to theirs and, ultimately, their subscribers’ needs. The launch of the Remote Record for Sky+ is a good example of how our collaboration with Sky is meeting those needs.

    “Our technology has proven to be very reliable for building applications designed for the mass market and we are now seeing tremendous demand, particularly from the media industry.”

    This is the third phase of weComm’s collaboration with Sky. The first generation of Sky by mobile was launched in June 2005 and provided the latest news stories and videos from Sky Sports and Sky News, up to the minute sports events scores and personalised services to users. It also allows viewers to place bets on sporting events through their Skybet account.

    In January 2006, weComm developed the second phase of the technology allowing viewers to subscribe to and watch Sky TV channels live on their handsets – Sky Mobile TV.