Neuilly-sur-Seine – 27 August 2012 – Netgem (www.netgem.com), a leader in connected home technologies and solutions, has been selected by YouSee A/S to bring its Web-TV Over-the-Top (OTT) service to any television. The leading cable operator in Denmark is seeking to maintain its position at the heart of the Danish multi-screen market in the wake of competing subscription-based internet services launching over the coming months. Beyond making this strategic play, YouSee also aims to broaden its reach beyond the boundaries of its HFC network to target new audiences.
YouSee will deploy Netgem’s latest N7700 hybrid set-top box (STB) and its award-winning middleware to facilitate access to its service and content. A key consideration for the operator was to make its popular Web-TV Video-On-Demand (VOD) service available on the television for any customer with a fixed or mobile broadband connection. Netgem makes use of adaptive bitrate streaming to ensure viewers are able to receive a selection of OTT-delivered content in high quality from YouSee’s movies and TV-series content.
Netgem’s powerful middleware gives viewers a richer experience and faster navigation than can be achieved by the use of TV apps and is designed to drive consumption of VoD and other TV services. The middleware could also allow external PVR functions, home network media sharing and web browsing in the future.
Anders Blauenfeldt, Executive Vice President, Innovation and IT at YouSee, says: “The key consideration for us is to bring content to the big screen and be able to attract a broader mainstream audience to the Web-TV on demand services. Netgem was able to meet these requirements and offers proven experience in deploying hybrid OTT services for a range of customers, so we are looking forward to the relationship in the coming years.”
Netgem is able to extend the ease of use from content navigation through to the installation process by offering Ethernet, dual-band WiFi and HDMI connectivity and also UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) to eliminate the need for expensive truck rolls.
The high density Netgem 7700 STB is equipped with a cable tuner and its hybrid capabilities give YouSee the option to offer products whether off-net or on-net. This versatility gives the operator a future option to deploy the same STB over its HFC network to extend its full cable channel line-up with all the OTT VoD and interactive apps from the Web-TV service.
Christophe Aulnette, Chief Executive Officer of Netgem, adds: “This new project highlights a key market trend. With Over-the-Top technologies, Cable Operators can today dramatically increase their addressable market and compete outside their traditional boundaries. We are delighted to partner with such a high profile historical and cable market leader in Denmark, to deliver state of the art solution and help YouSee expands its customer base.”
Netgem will be demonstrating the YouSee STB at IBC 2012, which will be held at the RAI exhibition centre in Amsterdam and takes place between 7-11 September.
Visit Netgem at Stand #B45 in Hall 5.
About Netgem: Netgem provides Connected Home Entertainment Solutions to Multiservice Operators to help them strengthen their end-customer relationship and drive revenue growth. Based upon Netgem’s hardware and software technologies, operators are able to develop innovative convergent services and a unique broadcast TV experience, enriched by the power of Internet. Netgem is present in more than twelve countries around the world with an install base of more than 4 million. Netgem is listed on Compartment C of NYSE Euronext Paris. ISIN : FR0004154060, Reuters : ETGM.PA, Bloomberg : NTG FP
Site Internet: www.netgem.com Twitter http://www.twitter.com/netgem
About YouSee
YouSee is the largest TV distributor in Denmark and provides TV signals for approximately 46 percent of all Danish households. YouSee offers cable TV, IPTV, broadband services and telephony. YouSee is a subsidiary of TDC A/S.
