Monic@sh and MTN Select Irdeto to Secure Mobile Broadcast TV Services in the Ivory Coast

Monday, February 11th, 2008
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Irdeto Mobile TV Service Protection is the First Commercial Rollout in Western Africa

BARCELONA, Spain – Mobile World Congress 2008 — Irdeto (JSE: NPN), the proven expert in content security for digital TV, IPTV and mobile, today announced a deal to secure mobile broadcast TV services across the MTN Côte d’Ivoire network in the West African nation.

MTN Côte d’Ivoire is part of MTN, the leading mobile operator in Africa. The project will be operated technically by local business partner Monic@sh for MTN subscribers. The solution includes Gemalto’s advanced mobile TV smart cards, which ensure the highest levels of security required to implement Irdeto’s conditional access (CA) application. Thomson will provide headend and radio network solutions.

“Irdeto’s dedication to digital content security and aggressive product roadmaps made us a natural partner choice for Monic@sh and MTN Côte d’Ivoire’s deployment of the first commercial mobile TV rollout in Western Africa,” said Doug Lowther, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Irdeto.

“Our decision to go with Irdeto for this first implementation of mobile broadcast TV services in the region was based on the company’s compatibility with a wide range of terminals within mobile environments, as well as its approach to strategic partnerships,” said Louis Diakite, CEO of Monic@sh.

“We are proud to be associated with Irdeto for this launch of mobile TV services by MTN Côte d’Ivoire,” added Gabrielle Bugat, senior vice president, Mobile TV Business Group at Gemalto. “This success strengthens our partnership with MTN, as we have already provided the company with mobile TV cards and services.”