Espial Switches On IPTV Services for Sogetel

OTTAWA, Ontario — Espial (TSX:ESP), a leader in the delivery of digital TV software, today announced that Sogetel, the largest independent telephone company in Québec, Canada is preparing to deliver IP-based television and video on-demand services using Evo TV Service Platform and Espial MediaBase. In its initial launch to 1,000 customers, Sogetel will provide standard- and high-definition TV services including Video on Demand (VoD) and Time-Shift TV (TSTV).

“We are very confident that Espial’s proven products and professional services are the ideal combination for us to deliver our new entertainment services,” said Jean-Philippe Tellier, IPTV Director at Sogetel. “Espial’s Video on Demand system provides intuitive operations to simplify delivery of movies and TV-on-demand programming. Espial’s IPTV middleware is an open and powerful platform for managing and delivering TV services. By working closely with Espial we are able to deliver a complete set of entertainment services to our customers today – and grow to provide more services to customers who sign on with our services in the future.”

The group Sogetel currently maintains 32,000 access lines in five different rural areas of Quebec. In the last four years, it has grown its landline network by acquiring five independent telephone companies. Rapid scaling, single head-end support, and time-shift TV services are some of the compelling advantages of Espial MediaBase. These advantages of Espial MediaBase are also appreciated by millions of VOD subscribers worldwide.

“Evo TV Service Platform and Espial MediaBase allow operators like Sogetel to deliver a solution tailored to their subscriber size, feature requirements and budgets,” said Rob Nadon, Director of Product Management, Espial. “Our products provide compelling value for operators looking to augment their services with linear and on-demand TV services, no matter what size of region they serve. Today’s subscribers are looking to watch TV on their own terms with on-demand services, easy access using open, scalable and reliable platforms – Espial is able to deliver on all of these.”