Mirada Wins Contract from Uruguayan Government to Deploy Informational Interactive TV Services

Mirada, the Anglo-Spanish interactive media company that was formed via the merger of YooMedia and Fresh IT (for extensive background on the merger, see [itvt] Issue 7.87 Part 3), said Monday that it has been contracted by the government of Uruguay to provide a set of interactive TV services that will be deployed under the auspices of "Plan Cardales," a government mandate focused on guaranteeing access to interactive digital TV for all Uruguayan households. The contract is the first win for Mirada's recently opened Latin American office, which is located in Uruguay.

According to Mirada, the contract will see it using its existing technology platforms to develop and integrate a range of interactive TV information services, including access to information from Uruguay's Ministry of Public Health, doctor and pharmacy locators, weather-forecast apps, and t-learning services. The first phase of the deployment is scheduled to begin at the end of this month, and will, the company says, see its interactive TV services delivered to 7,000 households. The final phase is scheduled to begin in December. The overall goal of the deployment is to bring interactive TV to all of Uruguay's 1 million+ households within five years. One of the main mandates of Plan Cardales is to ensure that the approximately 400,000 Uruguayan households that are currently below the country's poverty line have access to digital information services.

According to Mirada, the "exact nature" of its new contract with the Uruguayan government cannot be disclosed "for competitive reasons." However, it says that it is expected to generate turnover of around $500,000 this financial year, with further revenues to follow as additional interactive TV services are developed. The company claims that the contract will have a "positive impact" on its reach in Latin America, due to the "significance and scope" of the project that it envisages, and that it will position the company as "the foremost regional leader and expert" in the provision of interactive TV technology and products. "This new contract serves to expand our leadership in interactive digital television around the globe," Mirada CEO, Jose Luis Vazquez, said in a prepared statement. "We have been chosen to lead and deliver these projects due to our innovative products and expertise and hopefully these agreements will lead to additional business in these key growth areas. Our new office in Uruguay is making great strides in capturing further business in South America and this first contract with the government is of great value in terms of solidifying our presence in the region."