ADB Group and TFN Media Bring Advanced Interactive HDTV Experience to Taiwan

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009
Advanced Digital Broadcast logo

New system integration and set-top box delivery contract in Taiwan; Local presence in Taiwan strengthened; New manufacturing partnership with Foxconn

GENEVA – Advanced Digital Broadcast Holdings S.A. (SIX: ADBN) announced today that the Group had signed a three-year contract with TFN Media, the Household Business Development Group under Taiwanmobile Group, one of Taiwan’s leading Multiple Systems Operators (MSO), for the delivery of an end-to-end solution for TFN Media’s deployment of advanced interactive digital cable services starting in early 2009. The scope of the contract includes full system specification and provisioning, interactive application software development, MHP middleware, digital set-top boxes and system integration. ADB Group will act as a system integrator and will provide all the related products and services to TFN Media. All ADB Group companies are jointly contributing to the project.

TFN Media is the fourth largest MSO in Taiwan, providing cable services to approximately 540,000 homes in northern and southern Taiwan. The company plans to digitalize its entire network during the next three years’ time. The trial launch is testing the market on interactive services, HD content, and user’s interface after which the commercial launch will be initiated. According to TFN Media’s plan, full digitalization is expected to be completed by 2011.

“ADB provides us with a complete end-to-end solution needed by a digital cable operator. All system’s elements including the equipment, its software and conditional access subsystem are put together in an efficient and cost effective way. Practically, ADB Group secures our future and lets us focus on our core business”, commented James Jeng, COO, Household Business Group of Taiwanmobile Group and President of TFN Media. He continued, “ADB’s track record of success in digital TV industry worldwide, unprecedented local support, and vote of confidence it demonstrates with regard to Taiwan’s digital TV market, all contributed to our partnership. We chose ADB because they will help us realize our ultimate goal of generating new revenue streams by introducing the most advanced and customer focused digital technologies.”

Andrew Rybicki, Chairman and CEO of ADB Group, said: “We have a long history and roots in Taiwan, so our cooperation with TFN Media manifests a meaningful milestone in our Group’s development. We are confident that our cooperation with TFN Media will make history in the interactive digital cable services of Taiwan. We will do it by maximizing value and quality of our deliverables and minimizing customer’s ownership cost, thus delivering highest possible benefits to its subscribers and shareholders. We will ensure successful attainment of this goal by deploying an Open Standards based architecture (DVB-MHP) that facilitates almost unlimited contribution of several qualified third parties to such a system’s rapid growth, combined with ADB Group’s world-class, well proven software implementation”.

Taking into consideration TFN Media’s needs for localization of ADB Group’s software products, the Group also announced today the establishment of Asian office of its subsidiary Osmosys, a leading company in the open standard digital TV software and solutions. Osmosys will be providing TFN Media with critical head-end system software as well as core set-top box middleware and applications that enhance TFN Media customers’ viewing and entertainment experience. David McElhatten, Managing Director of Osmosys, stated, “We are fully dedicated to work on this groundbreaking project with TFN Media. Indeed, it represents our growing commitment to the Asian markets where we see tremendous upside and growth potential in the transition to digital TV services.”

TFN Media accepted ADB’s proposal of using the award-winning ADB-5810 family of HD/DOCSIS set-top boxes with built-in flexibility accommodating several value-added services. This “one box strategy” will provide the subscriber with means of viewing both the digital cable services and facilitate accessing internet services through a broadband channel. It will benefit TFN by promoting its broadband services and will be in practice the first such a solution in Taiwan.

The ADB-5810CD is an advanced, interactive digital set-top box designed for digital cable networks. It supports high definition video decoding and H.264/MPEG4 compression. ADB’s unique operating software ensures enhanced system and product performance including fast channel acquisition and swift rendering of on-screen graphics and applications.

François Pogodalla, CEO of ADB S.A., ADB Group’s Digital TV Equipment affiliate commented “We are delighted to give a new boost to our business in Asia with a new high-end customer, and a new world-class manufacturing partner. With our focus on customer, quality, performance and innovation, we welcome the customers who look for differentiation and value-added services. We are therefore very happy for this opportunity to offer our years of experience and high-end products to TFN Media in Taiwan.”

ADB Group further announced that it intends to start a co-operation with Foxconn Technology Group, one of the world’s largest contract manufacturers and the most trusted providers of joint-design, joint-development, manufacturing, assembly and after-sales services to global computer, communication and consumer-electronics leaders. Simultaneously, ADB Group will continue maintaining its business relationship with Cal-Comp Electronics, its long-time manufacturing partner. This arrangement will provide the Group with a more diversified supply base.