Alticast and ContentWise collaborate to expand Personalized TV market reach

ContentWise the personalization, discovery, analytics and metadata expert, and Alticast, today announced that they are integrating the ContentWise personalization system with the Alticast AltiPlex SDP (Service Delivery Platform) and AltiPlatform middleware to provide pay-TV and OTT operators with a powerful and flexible end-to-end software solution. 

Visitors to IBC will be able to see the platform demonstrated on the ContentWise stand (14.K05).

“More and more Alticast customers are looking to provide a highly personalized TV experience,” said Joon Hee Oh, Cloud Business Unit Leader at Alticast. “The integration with ContentWise expands our ability to provide operators with the tools to deliver state-of-the-art personalized TV experiences, allowing them to attract and retain customers and advance revenue opportunities.”

Alticast has developed an end-to-end architecture comprised of a cost-effective cloud server solution, portable STB middleware, proven content protection and a ground breaking UI/UX. The Alticast solution provides pay-TV and OTT operators with an advanced high-quality, cost-effective system delivered expeditiously.

ContentWise is the TV personalization software that provides broadcast, cable, satellite, IPTV, OTT and video streaming operators with total control over the curation and automation of the Personalized TV experience. ContentWise provides a data-driven UX engine that provides full control over each personalized user interface element across platforms through a set of visual layout tools.  The combination of algorithmic and social recommendations, predictive browsing and context awareness provides the most sophisticated content discovery solution on the market. The solution also enables content programmers to achieve unprecedented control thanks to predictive performance tools with support for curation, dynamic streams, business rules and A/B testing.

“Alticast and ContentWise share similar product philosophies: designing solutions that enable operators to provide consumers with the best possible TV experience,” said Pancrazio Auteri, CTO of ContentWise. “There is already a high-level of interest in our joint solution and we look forward to ensuring that a ContentWise TV experience powered by Alticast’s end-to-end solution will offer the advanced deep personalization that’s essential to maximizing consumer engagement and operator monetization.” 

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Alticast's European Team wraps up ANGA COM 2015 with some key takeaways

ANGA Com 2015 has come to a close with 17,000 participants from 74 countries visiting over 450 vendor booths! From broadband to content, ANGA COM was brimming with new information leading to great excitement for the industry's future.

At Alticast’s booth, we featured demonstrations of our AltiPlex Cloud UI Platform, AltiView1, and Alticast Application Framework for both RDK and Android. 

Alticast's EMEA President, Tiann Schutte, attends a customer meeting in the Alticast booth at ANGA COM.

Even though customer visits to the booth and demonstrating Alticast's developments took up most of our time, we were able to tour the trade floor and attend some very interesting conference sessions. Some key take-away highlights from this year's show were:

•   Multiscreen is now a defacto part of any TV offering and is no longer seen as a complementary feature. In fact, recent market research showed that 65% of U.S. mobile video viewers watch TV and phone videos at the same time.

•   The rise of VOD is happening. Many Pay TV operators in Europe are gearing up their OTT services to be able to compete with Netflix; thus, resulting in great choice of services for consumers.

•   The repackaging of linear content into catch-up, start-over, and nPVR is becoming a key Pay TV service offering. This is driven by the consumer’s insatiable demand for content at any time. It also is a key differentiator between TV operators and OTT providers.

•    Cloud continues to be a big theme. The Cloud's elements of cost-benefits, streamlining operations and improved customer experience are the drivers in this discussion. The Alticast Cloud UI demo was the most popular demo on the stand as operators investigate ways to virtualize the STB and deliver competitive and compelling user experiences.

Perhaps Michael Fries, President and CEO of Liberty Global summarized the “takeaways” of the show best in one of the conference sessions,  “The deciding factor is not the content, but the user experience! It’s all about the app."

Julia Mooney, EMEA's Director of Product Management, welcomes a customer to the booth.

Alticast Shows Cable Operators How to use the Cloud and RDK to Deliver New Services at ANGA 2015

Alticast will demonstrate how its Cloud-based solutions enable cable operators to deliver innovative, multiscreen experiences at its booth (10.1/P40) at the ANGA 2015 trade show, June 9-11 in Cologne, Germany.

Key demonstrations at ANGA 2015 will include:

·       Alticast’s AltiPlex Cloud Services Platform (CSP) provides essential core cloud solutions for handling users, devices, metadata, advertising, big-data support and billing system integration, with a complete web-based management console. AltiPlex CSP is component based, so operators can deploy the entire solution or integrate specific components into their service.  These components include the dynamic Cloud UI solution which enables operators to deliver a sophisticated user experience (UX) to both their legacy and new set-top boxes (STBs). The Cloud UI can also provide multiple UIs to different devices in a household, for example a UI tailored for kids and one for adults. In addition, Cloud DVR is available for cloud-based recording, with storage and delivery of content providing a TV Everywhere experience.

·       The company’s AltiView™ 1 is a sophisticated UX for presenting and navigating program guides, VOD services and DVR functions, with integrations for recommendations, TV apps and more.  AltiPlex CSP provides server side support with a web-based console for AltiView 1 operations and management.  The ANGA demonstrations will include AltiView 1 running on multiple STBs and mobile devices demonstrating live operator deployments.

·       Alticast Application Framework supports multiple hardware platforms, UIs and user agents to give operators the flexibility to utilize HTML5, Java, Android, RDK and other applications on the same STB. Operators no longer need to choose one approach for multiple application types in order to provide a seamless experience.  Alticast Application Framework provides operators with the flexibility and control to quickly adapt to changing market needs.

                        

·       Alticast’s Collaborative Development Environment for code integration is a Cloud-based solution that enables system-on-a-chip (SoC) vendors, open software providers, multi-system operators (MSOs) and system integrators to utilize a single workflow and release structure for multiple platform code development projects.  The CDE supports any code development effort, including RDK and Android STB software integrations.

Media and other parties interested in meeting with Alticast executives at ANGA 2015 should contact alticast@mobilitypr.com to schedule a time.

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Alticast Shows Broadcasters how to Maximize Multiscreen and Cloud Opportunities at NAB 2015

Broadcasters can Simplify the Delivery of New Video Services With Alticast

BROOMFIELD, Colo. – April 6, 2015 – Alticast, a global partner for the delivery of media entertainment, will show attendees of NAB 2015 how its latest solutions can simplify the development and delivery of new, more personalized, multiscreen TV viewing experiences.  The demonstrations will take place at their booth (N1223), April 13 – 16, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“NAB is the perfect venue for us to show broadcasters and content owners how they can take advantage of the Cloud and other new technologies to deliver services to many video consumption devices used by viewers,” said John Carlucci, President and Chief Technical Officer for Alticast North America.  “More and more content is being delivered from the Cloud to a variety of devices via IP and Alticast has the technology to deploy quick, nimble, secure and scalable services adapting to the changing digital media consumer.”

Alticast’s key demonstrations at NAB 2015 will include:

·       The company’s HDMI Media Express ‘set-top box on a stick,’ which represents a new paradigm for IP video delivery with live and on-demand programing being delivered directly from the cloud or in concert with a home gateway. The size and shape of a USB thumb drive, it also provides a TV Everywhere experience with its download-and-go and plug-and-play capability.  Additionally, HDMI Media Express supports HTML5 and Android application delivery due to its leveraging the Reference Design Kit (RDK) and Alticast’s TV Ready User Agent application framework.

·       The new multi-catalog search capability of Alticast’s AltiView 1 user experience (UX), powered by Rovi, allows subscribers to simultaneously search multiple content catalogs from over-the-top (OTT) providers like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, and select the delivery source.   This allows operators to add services from secondary content catalogs and offer it to their viewers.

·       Alticast’s AltiPlex Cloud Services Platform (CSP) provides a variety of cloud solutions, including back office integration, metadata delivery, big-data support and a number of add-on features. Alticast will be highlighting their Cloud-based Digital Video Recording (DVR) system, which enables cloud-based storage and delivery of content. 

·       A joint demonstration will show broadcasters how to take advantage of ATSC 2.0 to overlay applications onto their video and deliver a new generation of iTV services and advanced advertising applications.  The demonstration includes an Alticast enabled set-top box (STB), providing a robust browser and application life cycle control for managing applications.  Tools from Strategy & Technology (S&T) insert ATSC 2.0 triggers into recorded and live content, and Alticast recognizes these triggers and launches web-based HTML5 applications.  These applications can be delivered from web servers to the screen providing a broadcast solution for interactive TV.

Media and other parties interested in meeting with Alticast executives at NAB 2015 should contact alticast@mobilitypr.com to schedule a time.

Alticast Showcases Latest Video Delivery Solutions at CSTB 2015

Alticast’s Latest Solutions Simplify the Delivery of New Video Services

Amsterdam – January 21, 2015– Alticast, a global partner for the delivery of media entertainment, will show satellite, cable and terrestrial operators, as well as other telecommunications providers attending the upcoming CSTB Exhibition in Russia how its latest solutions can simplify the development and delivery of new, more personalized, multiscreen TV viewing experiences. The demonstrations will take place throughout the show (January 27-29) in Moscow at the Crocus Expo Centre in booth 509, Hall 4.

Alticast will showcase its latest solutions at the show, which cover satellite, cable, terrestrial and IPTV video delivery as well as enabling operators to add tablet and mobile capabilities for multi-screen functionality.  The company will particularly focus on its innovative Cloud User Interface (UI) solution and its AltiPlex™ Cloud Services Platform (CSP).

“The advanced solutions we will show at CSTB 2015 are ideal for Russian service providers that must continually offer new and compelling video services to their subscribers while containing costs,” said Tiaan Schutte, Alticast’s President for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).  “Our solutions overcome the inherent complexity of multiscreen video delivery to truly simplify the deployment of new services, enabling operators to focus on innovating new services for their subscribers.”

Alticast’s key demonstrations at CSTB 2015 will include:

AltiView 2™,  Alticast’s advanced user experience (UX) dynamically presents the UI based on subscribers past viewing behavior and leverages real-time viewing statistics from all subscribers to highlight trending content. This approach maximizes content discovery while minimizing user interaction, thereby embracing the traditional lean-back TV viewing experience while driving content consumption.

        Alticast’s Cloud UI application provides a thin client/server model for delivering the user experience to all devices in the home. This architecture reduces demands on the STB processor and memory by pre-processing the UI in the Cloud, enabling cable operators to use ‘thin client’ STBs.  Operators can take advantage of Alticast’s Cloud UI to deploy new user experiences (UX) much quicker. It also provides the opportunity to present a variety of UX in a household, for example a child-based, a sports or a movie experience.

        Alticast staff will also brief attendees on an end-to-end solution that is comprised of the AltiView 1 fully featured UX, AltiPlatform™ market proven middleware, AltiProtect™ integrated content security and AltiPlex Cloud Services Platform which performs all the ‘heavy-lifting’ for delivering a robust user UX. This package is easily operator branded and includes a broad set of features to select for extending a variety of services to the subscriber.

Media and other parties interested in meeting with Alticast executives at CSTB 2015 should contact alticast@mobilitypr.com to schedule a time.