Verismo's VuNow Internet TV Platform Powers First Interactive IPTV Services in Bangalore

VuNow Internet TV Platform Recognized at CableLabs Technology Forum 2009 as the ‘Best New Product’ Is Chosen by ACT Television to Deliver Interactive IPTV Content — Entertainment, Education, Shopping, and More — in a Compact, Palm-Sized Box

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — Verismo Networks announced ACT Television’s launch of IPTV and triple play services based on Verismo’s VuNow Internet TV platform. ACT Television’s deployment initially targets 100,000 homes in Bangalore, India and marks the first ever interactive IPTV service in Bangalore.

ACT’s new service brings a wealth of digital entertainment to consumers and transforms the television set into a true convergence device. Users can pause and play over 200+ live TV channels, record one program while watching another, and access more than 4,500 DVD quality Kannada, Hindi and Tamil movies at the click of a button. Additionally, VuNow’s innovative technology enables ACT customers to enjoy their personal content plus millions of videos available on the Internet — from YouTube™ videos to live Internet channels — right on their televisions.

ACT also announced plans for value-added programming and services, including multi-user gaming, email and voicemail, online shopping, remote education, banking, cooking programs, city and weather information — all on the television set.

Verismo’s Internet TV platform is an end-to-end solution consisting of a compact size set-top box, middleware and video-on-demand server. Verismo has provided ACT with a unified solution that combines IPTV with over the top Internet video all in a single platform thereby enabling the viewing of linear TV channels as well as Internet video directly on the TV. In addition, this solution also provides local and network PVR capabilities to pause, rewind and record live TV shows, a browser with SSL support to enable secure browsing on the Internet, fast channel switching capability, multiple codec support to maximize content playback from various content formats and DRM support.

“We are excited to be the first to launch this revolutionary IPTV service in Bangalore; these cutting-edge entertainment, education, and communication options represent the future of the Indian television market,” said Sunder Raju, Managing Director at ACT Television. “Verismo’s VuNow platform offers the right combination of flexibility, high performance, and ease of use to ensure the successful delivery of our interactive TV services.”

“As one of the largest cable markets in the world, India has enormous potential. ACT Television is embracing the future of home entertainment and is playing a leading role in bringing a new generation of interactive content and TV services to India,” said Prakash Bhalerao, CEO of Verismo Networks. “ACT’s selection of the VuNow platform for this cutting-edge deployment is a strong endorsement of our technology.”

After the initial roll out in Bangalore, the multi-system operator (MSO) plans to expand its IPTV service to other cities in India.

The VuNow platform offers access to the broadest selection of Internet video for the TV. In addition to licensing its open VuNow platform to broadband service providers and equipment manufacturers, Verismo Networks sells HD and SD versions of the VuNow PoD to consumers. The VuNow PoD enables any broadband users to access and enjoy Internet video directly on their television, without having to connect to a computer.