ANT Launches Version 3.0 of its ANT Galio Software Suite

At the IBC show in Amsterdam earlier this month, UK-based digital TV client software provider, ANT, released version 3.0 of its ANT Galio software suite, targeted at network operators, content developers and set-top box manufacturers. According to the company, the new version of the software suite is more robust and will allow content providers to push a greater range of "rich and dynamic" multimedia services to audiences without impacting set-top box performance. It says that the improvements it has made to the software suite's two main components--the ANT Galio Browser and the ANT Galio Client--demonstrate its "platform consolidation," and that it is building on this foundation by introducing a range of core applications, including EPG, PVR, VOD, zapper and parental control apps. According to ANT, the new release also demonstrates its commitment to open standards (note: ANT jointed the Open IPTV Forum earlier this year): among other things, the company says, it has passed the Acid2 test suite, a benchmark which is published and promoted by the Web Standards Project and which is billed as being written to encourage browsers to support the features that designers would like to make use of. ANT claims that, by using open standards and providing extensive developer support tools, it is able to reduce integration and development time, enabling a faster time-to-market and lower project costs for content developers. "The release of ANT Galio 3.0 represents a fantastic opportunity to build on the success of the previous version of the platform," Richard Baker, ANT's EVP of sales and marketing, said in a prepared statement (note: for an in-depth interview with Baker, see [itvt] Issue 7.80). "Our commitment to an open-standards approach means that developers have the tools to build and implement more varied and compelling applications. With the new release they can continue to innovate with the added security of a robust platform and a quicker time to market."