Irdeto Expands Set-Top Box Agreement with Cisco

Integrated solution provides consumers with advanced viewing options

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands — IBC 2008 — Irdeto (JSE: NPN), a leading expert in content and business model protection solutions and services today announced further expansion of a set-top box license agreement with Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. The agreement enables Cisco to integrate Irdeto’s Conditional Access (CA) solution with its set-tops.

As result of this agreement, Cisco has introduced a hybrid high-definition (HD) interactive personal video recorder (PVR) set-top in the Netherlands. Cisco’s 8455DVB PVR MPEG-4 HD is currently available through Ziggo in the Netherlands and offers customers digital video broadcasting, PVR and high-definition television (HDTV) capabilities. The digital receiver enables consumers to view programs in HDTV and record to the built-in hard disk. It currently supports subscription video on demand (VOD) in HD quality via cable.

This is the first introduction of two-way interactive services, including VOD, on the Ziggo network. Ziggo is the largest cable television company and Internet service provider in the Netherlands.

“We are delighted to be able to offer this service to Dutch customers and pleased with the co-operation with Irdeto on this project. Good security and protection of VOD content is essential,” stated Tom van Leur, project manager VOD, Ziggo. “Content providers are demanding this from Ziggo and, thanks to Irdeto, we can fulfil this need.”

“Choosing the right set-top with the right feature set is key to the success of any pay TV business, so we ensure our customers have a wide variety of models integrated with our security to choose from,” stated Doug Lowther, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Irdeto. “Ziggo recently reached more than one million digital subscribers and offering advanced set-top will help them continue to grow their base and offer increasingly interesting products to their customers.”

“Cisco’s open-standards approach and open architecture enable us to work with best-of-breed solution partners like Irdeto. The Ziggo VOD solution with Cisco set-tops and Irdeto security will truly change the way video subscribers in the Netherlands experience advanced television entertainment at home,” said Ken Klaer, vice president and general manager of Cisco’s International Cable Set-Top business.

With nearly 40 years of experience in developing enabling technologies for pay media services. Irdeto provides open software foundations for digital TV set-tops. Irdeto’s middleware provides the set-top box core that is necessary to create a common look and feel across multiple set-tops brands and models, and allows secure access to interactive TV services available through satellite, cable, terrestrial or IP.

Please visit Irdeto (Hall 1, Booth D51) at IBC 2008 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands for live demonstrations of our solutions.