ZON Multimedia First to Field Trial NDS Snowflake UI, Enabled by MediaHighway STB Software

AMSTERDAM — IBC2010, Stand 1.A71 — NDS Group, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, today announced that leading Portuguese pay-TV operator ZON Multimedia (Lisbon:ZON) will field trial its new TV platform, based on the NDS Snowflake™ User Interface (UI).

In the first ever field trial of NDS Snowflake, ZON Multimédia will use the designer UI to deliver next generation TV services to its viewers across Portugal. The operator’s agreement with NDS also covers other aspects of the new platform build including the use of NDS MediaHighway® set-top box software.

ZON Multimedia operates a number of consumer-facing brands including ZON Cinemas, ZON Net , ZON Mobile and its pay-TV platform ZON TV Cabo. Working with NDS to define its complete TV platform roadmap, ZON selected MediaHighway set-top box software and NDS Snowflake to enable access to a range of content and services such as DVR library programming, VOD assets, Catch-up TV, recommendation engine searches and widgets for social networking. The flexibility of NDS’ MediaHighway to support the launch of these types of services quickly, efficiently and smoothly proved an important factor in ZON Multimedia’s decision to deploy the NDS set-top box software solution.

Customised with branding to the operator’s own specifications, the award-winning NDS Snowflake UI provides ZON TV Cabo viewers with an enhanced user experience characterised by smart navigation and an ergonomically designed, easy to use, intuitive interface that will provide faster, simplified access to content and connected services. As the first example of a new way of watching television, ZON TV Cabo viewers will also be the first to appreciate the benefits of a holistic user experience that incorporates a new design of set-top box and remote control.

Nuno Sanches, TV Products Director at ZON TV Cabo Portugal, SA said: “The concept of television is changing as advancements in technology allow us to add more elements into the pay-TV experience. We are committed to providing an unrivalled offering to our subscribers which delivers access to TV content when and where they want it as well as new functionality and levels of interactivity that combine traditional services with new social networking, content management and connectivity options. We are confident that NDS has the experience and expertise we need to strengthen our platform on multiple levels and to provide a user experience that will stand the test of time.”

Designed by NDS Studio Design, NDS Snowflake provides a robust UI backbone for operators looking to launch a branded interface offering improved ease of use to the viewer including the ability to control TV content remotely via smartphones and other connected devices. Able to enhance the TV experience across numerous devices, NDS Snowflake can also deliver new community based social networking features, applications and widgets to subscribers via content driven recommendations. This capability means that operators are then able to generate increased revenue from premium content and other recommendations relevant to subscriber interests.

Caroline Le Bigot, Senior VP and General Manager France, EMEA Sales & Latin America, NDS said: “With a next generation solution as powerful as MediaHighway and NDS Snowflake, we are setting a new standard for the pay-TV experience not only for ZON TV Cabo viewers, but for the industry as a whole. We are very excited about this first live field trial of NDS Snowflake and anticipate a positive reaction from users who will soon be enjoying a fresh look at what pay-TV can do. The introduction of new digital services is key to growth in pay-TV and we believe that the new ZON platform will deliver real business benefit through the new services and greater levels of interactivity that it will bring.”

As the enabling technology for over 152 million active devices, ZON Multimedia’s use of NDS MediaHighway® as the enabling technology of the platform lays the foundations for the introduction of advanced TV and entertainment services and the convergence of broadcast and broadband content. MediaHighway also enables ZON Multimedia to scale the user experience by adding multiple applications to its offering, without impacting quality of service.