Vestel to Integrate Miniweb for Advanced Connected TV services

Miniweb announces a strategic partnership with Vestel, the leading consumer electronics manufacturer and provider of “white label” TV devices, to integrate Miniweb’s award-winning platform across a range of Vestel connected TV devices

LONDON — Vestel, a leader in the global consumer electronics industry, and Miniweb, an award-winning developer of converged content experiences, have announced a strategic partnership for the deployment of Miniweb’s broadband content guide and services platform across a range of Vestel’s connected TV devices. First to market will be set-top boxes built to the HbbTV standard for launch in Germany later this year.

Via its Connected TV Services Platform, Miniweb provides the means to seamlessly integrate a wide range of Internet Video publishers into a simple converged TV viewer experience, enabling easy content discovery and consumption. The Miniweb services platform is the key to an advanced user experience which empowers TV viewers with functionality such as global search, recommendations, related content, community, micropayments and personalization, all while maintaining the branding and business models of the content owner.

Based in Turkey, Vestel Electronics is a major player in the global consumer electronics industry. With an annual manufacturing capacity of 15 million TV sets and 12 million set top boxes, Vestel pioneered the development of flat panel TVs with integrated digital receivers, and was the first to develop business-to-business interactive TV solutions for hotels and hospitals. In 2007, Vestel achieved 25% market share in the European digital receiver market.

Miniweb’s Connected TV Services Platform has garnered substantial industry acclaim including TVB Europe Editors’ Award Best of IBC 2009, Best Interactive Service/Application at IPTV World Series Award 2009, Pick Hit Award for Innovation at IBC 2008 and the Red Herring Europe 100 Winner 2008. Most recently, Miniweb won “Best of Show” in the WebTV category at IBC 2009, and was nominated to present at the CableLabs Innovation Showcase in February 2010.

“We’re really excited to be partnering with Vestel at the forefront of the Connected TV era, and to be a service platform for hBBTV devices”, comments Jerome de Vitry, Miniweb CEO. “Vestel’s leading global position in the TV market will ensure millions of viewers will be able to enjoy the benefits of a seamless internet video experience on TV via our platform.”

Mr Turan Erdogan, Vestel board member and President of Sales and Marketing, remarked, “with Miniweb’s Connected TV Services Platform, our satellite receiver will have add on features enabling users to access internet video, which will differentiate our product from other set-top boxes in the market.”

Vestel will be exhibiting their products, including a demo of Miniweb’s Connected TV Services Platform, on Stand 51 at the IPTV World Forum, London, 23-25 March 2010.