Arcor Selects VideoGuard® to Secure its New IPTV Service for Germany

LONDON, UK — NDS, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital Pay-TV, today announced that Arcor, the second largest telecommunications provider in Germany, has selected NDS VideoGuard® content protection to secure its new IPTV service. Arcor-Digital TV will initially be available in 51 German cities and communities offering digital TV and advanced entertainment services such as VOD (Video On Demand).

Operating a nationwide broadband network with a DSL subscriber base of over two million connections, Arcor, a subsidiary of leading global cellular provider Vodafone, selected VideoGuard Server™, the server-based content protection solution from NDS. VideoGuard Server is specifically designed for always-on two-way networks such as DSL and digital cable. It features proven VideoGuard CA and DRM technology, now providing security in over 50 Pay-TV platforms around the world. The hardware-based security components of the solution include robust CA/DRM security in the headend for linear and on-demand services, as well as authentication and content protection in the decoder chip in the set top-box.

With more than 78.6 million smartcards deployed worldwide, NDS VideoGuard is the world’s leading content protection technology with an unsurpassed track record in securing digital content. The advanced CA and DRM features of VideoGuard will enable Arcor to run an industry-leading digital IPTV platform capable of securely delivering digital TV and value added entertainment services. In addition, VideoGuard enables operators to efficiently roll out new advanced services such as DVR (Digital Video Recorder).

Bernd Wirnitzer, Department Director at ARCOR, commented: “Its flexibility, security and cost-effectiveness made VideoGuard Server the logical choice for our new IPTV platform. We are pleased to be working with a technology partner renown for offering the most secure and reliable content protection solution available. With the commercial launch of Arcor-Digital TV, we look forward to working with NDS to develop one of Germany’s most compelling entertainment offerings on a secure and flexible platform.”

“We are very pleased to have been selected by Arcor and NDS looks forward to supporting the company as it develops its new IPTV service,” commented Yves Padrines, Director of Business Development at NDS. He added: “Now with our third major contract in Germany and our second deployment of VideoGuard in this market in 2007 alone, NDS is proud of its role in bringing new information and entertainment services to the German marketplace.”