Internet of Things: A New Business Model

Alticast's President and CTO of the US office, John Carlucci, was invited to speak at last week's INTX 2015 Imagine Park Innovation Showcase. John's topic,"IoT: A New Business Model," was especially relevant as he spoke about bringing software to different set top boxes to subsequently turn them into IoT gateways. Click on the link below to watch his presentation and find out how he thinks this vision benefits both the operator and the customer.

https://intx15.ncta.com/videos/the-internet-of-things-alticast/

Smart Pipe

We hear about cord cutting a lot, but the future holds a very different picture. While cable providers have primarily been about TV content delivery in the past, the critical aspect of TV delivery is the actual pipe they own that provides the service. We like to call this the smart pipe, and the cable operators are busy stepping into delivery of the "internet of things" services adding a lot of new value to their offerings. Home security and automation can all be tied together with this pipe which might include a special gateway for data storage and management. Wireless service in the house will all originate through this pipe, whether it's delivering cable content or other content services. The infrastructure that the cable company provides becomes a key part of every household, whether they watch much TV or not. Lucky for the cable providers, the numbers say we are watching even more video these days! (Notice I said video and not TV...on any device video is provided by a 'pipe'.)

Alticast Demonstrates how to Deliver TV Everywhere Services With RDK-Based “Set Top Box on a Stick” at RDK Users Conference

Alticast’s HDMI Software Allows Operators to Leverage Gateways or the Cloud to Deliver

 a Superior TV Everywhere Experience

Alticast, a worldwide leader in interactive television, will demonstrate to operators how they can expand their TV Everywhere service offerings with the company’s new software for HDMI sticks at next week’s RDK User’s Conference, which is being held on February 11 in Denver.  Leveraging the RDK and Alticast’s HTML5 application framework with an HDMI stick, Alticast’s solution represents a new paradigm for multiscreen IP video delivery, either directly from the Cloud or as a client to a home-based gateway.  

“Our HDMI stick software solution ‘untethers’ the set-top box from the home, enabling cable operators to cost-effectively provide subscribers with a superior TV Everywhere service that is highly customizable, personalized and available on any viewing device,” said John Carlucci, CTO, Alticast US.  “The RDK User’s Conference is the ideal location to show many of the world’s largest cable operators and potential manufacturing partners the benefits of our compact, RDK-based HDMI software solution, which can help operators keep their current subscribers and attract new ones.”

The Alticast HDMI stick supports a personalized multiscreen viewing experience in the home or on the go.  The stick works in conjunction with a home gateway to securely deliver programing to any TV or Consumer Device in the home.  It also has the potential to go anywhere in a Cloud-based delivery model for VOD and operator provided live TV.  The Alticast software solution lets operators decide how and what they deliver to the consumer.  The HTML5 Application Framework operates side-by-side with Android, allowing operators to deliver a multi-functional entertainment solution.

In addition, Alticast will demonstrate their new Application Store running on RDK.  This storefront for HTML5 applications provides the operator with tools for branding the service and curating the offerings. Backend administration workflow tools for developers allow application upload, versioning, and sales monitoring. The Application Store design gives complete control to the operator, opens the door to a new revenue opportunity and provides added entertainment choices to their customers.

The Reference Design Kit (RDK) is a pre-integrated software bundle developed and licensed to create a common framework for powering IP or hybrid Set-Top Boxes and gateway devices for CE manufacturers, system-on-a-chip (SoC) vendors, software developers, system integrators and TV service providers. The RDK was developed to accelerate the deployment of next-generation video services and prevent software fragmentation by providing speed-to-market, collaboration and standardization. Supported by more than 120 licensees, RDK Management, LLC was formed as a joint venture between Comcast Cable and Time Warner Cable to administer the RDK. More information is available at http://www.rdkcentral.com