Nokia Siemens Networks promises TV on any screen, on demand

New software platform allows service providers to create new applications, offers remote personal video recording

LONDON, UK — Nokia Siemens Networks has launched a new software platform that allows people the freedom to watch TV on multiple devices. The platform lets operators provide live, recorded or video-on-demand TV to mobile phone, Internet-connected computer, satellite or digital terrestrial television screens. In addition, it offers an open platform for creating new applications and provides remote personal video recording, catch-up TV, operator-to-subscriber messaging, faster channel change speed and enhanced IPTV picture stability.

“This new software platform lets subscribers enjoy video content and manage it in a consistent way, whether inside or outside the home,” said Brook Longdon, head of media and entertainment solutions, Nokia Siemens Networks. “By offering quality video on a range of different devices, across different networks, and by providing an open environment for app development, we free operators to partner with developers without being bound to any one vendor’s roadmaps and to differentiate their service.”

Supporting a consistent user experience across a range of devices and networks is compelling for the consumer as it offers simplicity. Delivering content in this way can be complex and operationally costly for the operator. The new platform resolves this by supporting different environments from a single, cost-efficient control point based on the DVB-IPTV and Open IPTV Forum’s Baseline Managed Profile specifications*.

The platform supports several types of network-based personal video recording, including user-controlled and operator-controlled recording functionality, to allow flexibility in business models and in navigating content rights issues. This allows people to watch one channel while recording another for later viewing.

The platform has enhancements to Nokia Siemens Networks’ award winning Interactive Applications toolkit, boasting faster application development and time to market, and greater flexibility in terms of user interface customization**.

The new platform also sees the introduction of network-based catch-up TV, whereby previously shown content is automatically made available for later viewing. It offers operator-to-subscriber messaging, enabling operators to send relevant operational and marketing messages to all or a subset of their subscriber base. The new platform also offers enhanced channel change speed and picture stability over IPTV networks.

The new software platform is a component of an end-to-end solution that enables operators to introduce advanced TV services rapidly. Nokia Siemens Networks has extensive experience as an end-to-end IPTV system integrator and middleware provider, and delivers a wide range of related professional services, including business and technical consulting, systems integration, and installation.

Nokia Siemens Networks is introducing its new software platform at the IPTV World Forum, London (March 23-25).

* DVB-IPTV is an open Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) standard for the delivery of audio/video services via Internet protocol networking. DVB-IPTV was formerly known as DVB-IPI. The Open IPTV Forum is a pan-industry initiative for producing end-to-end IPTV specifications that will take the next generation of IPTV to the mass market. The forum is fully open to participation from across the communications and entertainment industries. Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the founding members.

** The new software platform’s open application environment is Java based and enables applications such as the superimposing of live weather or stock market information in the media stream.