Verimatrix enters mobile TV market

 

Verimatrix has announced support for mobile TV as the latest piece of its 'three-dimensional content security' vision, the capability to support security to multiple types of networks, in an effort to more effectively attract multi-play payTV operators and systems integrators (SIs).

The new VCAS for Mobile TV solution comes with the ability to secure broadcast, streaming and file distribution services using common VCAS server authentication and key management. “Our approach tries to address all mobile video usage models. We think that's an attractive picture from a payTV operator point of view, giving the opportunity to share content around the home, access protected content in clip or file format, and premium broadcast TV services on the mobile,” Steve Christian, VP of marketing at Verimatrix, told CSI.


Building on the company's history of software-based IP security, it's a software application that can be downloaded and activated on phones with open programming environments, such as Windows Mobile and Symbian. It appears as an application on the desktop, which can be branded to individual services, according to Christian.


Verimatrix has also developed a technology called MultiRights, a way to provide content encrypted not only in the company's own proprietary format, but also in those compatible with DRM schemes on off-the-shelf phones, namely OMA and Windows DRM. “The idea is to provide a broad umbrella and a seamless access to content that you purchased or rented within a very broad payTV operation. Overall, we think this is the kind of model that can make some payTV operators more competitive than others,” said Christian.


“In triple and quad play environments, VCAS then becomes a common backend for the arbitration of rights for that content and is independent of the network delivery method and device or screen type that you will deliver on, hence the multiple dimension of content security that we talk about,” he added. Headend integration has been completed with encoder equipment from Envivio, with others said to be in progress.


Verimatrix also announced a significant contract win in the shape of IOL Netcom, a major rollout of an IPTV system in India, supporting both STBs and PCs as delivery devices. “It's a very significant piece of portal development work which embedded our ViewRight PC Player supporting VoD and broadcast material on PCs,” said Christian.


“The other interesting thing about this story is that it's also a proof point for our VideoMark forensic watermarking technology. All video that is potentially copyable or at least vulnerable to interception inside the data flows inside the PC is watermarked, making it rapidly traceable to the source. That capability is becoming a mainstream requirement, particularly in Asia, and particularly for deployment on PCs,” he argues.


“We are very confident about the prospects of supporting second screen delivery to PCs, not just in India but a number of other territories around the world, so watch out for a number of announcements on that over the next few months,” he added.

 

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