Pace Powers Altibox Video on Demand Transformation

Norwegian Triple-Play Provider Sees 35 Per Cent Service User Growth With Launch of Pace Elements-Powered VoD Portal

SALTAIRE, England — Pace plc (LSE: PIC), a leading developer of products and services for broadband and broadcast operators, has provided the software to power Altibox’s newly launched Video on Demand (VoD) portal, allowing the operator to overhaul the experience it delivers to consumers. The new VoD system, delivered using Pace’s Elements software platform, has resulted in 35 per cent growth in user numbers for the on-demand service since its re-launch in January 2011.

The new portal provides Altibox subscribers with a simple, highly intuitive experience when searching and navigating its on-demand film and TV content. By integrating the Cobalt content search and discovery tools from the Pace Elements software platform, Altibox can run its portal as a cloud-based service, offering the following benefits to Altibox and its subscribers:

• Fast, highly visual on-demand service across all devices
• Easy search and discovery of films and television shows via Altibox’s VoD portal, providing users with a host of helpful supplementary information each time they look up content
• Easy-to-use, intuitive user interface
• Highly personalised television experience, with features such as favourites lists and content ratings
• Easy, cost-effective remote installation and coordination of service updates

Per Andre Rykus, VP Market, Sales & Products, Altibox, commented: “Our previous Video on Demand portal was static and users often found it difficult to navigate the large library of content available. Since we’ve re-launched with a much more intuitive and feature rich portal, we’ve seen huge growth in its use and purchase of content. Cobalt has proven to be a powerful and flexible tool to feed our front-end application and support our new user interface and interaction design.”

Cobalt, part of Pace’s Elements software platform, is a range of powerful cloud-based software components that deliver customisable, fast, highly visual and interactive services across all devices. Cobalt allows Altibox to ‘tag’ its content with a range of internal and external metadata – for example a film starring Natalie Portman will be tagged with details of other films in which she has starred. By highlighting special offers and enabling users to find more relevant VoD content, Altibox has been able to maximise the revenue opportunity provided by this valuable content.

Pace has worked with Altibox to deliver a cloud-based data catalogue and management system, enabling subscribers to create their own personalised lists, rate programs and bookmark their favourite shows. This has allowed Altibox to build on the Cobalt software modules’ application programming interface (API) to create a new dynamic user interface, and a simplified, personalised search and discovery experience.

Chris Briggs, chief technical engineer, Pace, said: “We designed Cobalt to transform the way subscribers access and experience home entertainment. With Altibox, it’s done exactly that, powering the service’s transformation to a next level user experience.”