--Entone Integrates its Amulet and Hydra Products with Conklin-Intracom's fs/cdn IPTV Middleware
IPTV home-connectivity solutions provider, Entone, and Edgeware, a Stockholm-based provider of VOD server systems, announced Wednesday that Entone's IP video gateways and media hubs are now fully integrated with Edgeware's VOD servers. According to the companies, the integration will provide service providers with an efficient and cost-effective IPTV solution that can be quickly and easily deployed to enable such advanced services as time-shifted TV, VOD, whole-home DVR and online media services, using advanced codecs such as MPEG-4 (H.264/AVC). "Partnering with a world-class company like Edgeware further strengthens our presence in the market," Yves van Hecke, Entone's director of business development for the EMEA region, said in a prepared statement. "Our complementary technologies will enable service providers to accelerate their time to market, while at the same time offering subscribers more compelling next-generation TV services."
Entone bills its connected home solutions as integrating patent-pending media routing technologies that enable the delivery of live broadcast TV and recorded video services throughout a subscriber's home without requiring new wiring or a set-top box at each TV set. According to the companies, the integration of their technologies will enable operators to "seamlessly" scale their VOD service as their subscriber base grows. Edgeware claims that its servers deliver 20Gbps from 1U, allowing operators to scale from centralized configurations to distributed edge deployments. It says that the servers consume just 85W of power and 1U rack space, and require virtually no maintenance. Operational costs are thus dramatically reduced, the company claims, enabling caching of premium content at the edge and avoiding expensive core network and backhaul upgrades for Web TV deployment. The companies are planning to demo their integrated solution at the IBC next week in the Entone stand (IPTV Zone, Stand 701) and in the Edgeware stand (Hall 4, Stand A59).
In other Entone news: The company announced Monday that its Hydra IP Video Gateway and Amulet IPTV Receiver are interoperable with Conklin-Intracom's fs/cdn IPTV solution. The latter is billed as an integrated middleware solution that allows operators to deliver linear and on-demand TV, DVR functionality, and a range of interactive TV services including chat, email and messaging. According to the companies, the Entone/Conklin-Intracom product combo has been successfully deployed in multiple US customer environments, including Delhi Telephone of Delhi, NY. "Delhi is migrating from our existing VDSL video product to FTTH," Delhi CTO, Bill Trelease, said in a prepared statement. "The Entone Hydra is a 1-for-1 replacement for the home gateway/set-top box currently deployed. In some applications it saves hours of installation time by reusing existing in home wiring. We're very pleased with the results of the collaborative development efforts."
According to Entone and Conklin-Intracom, the combined solution enables delivery of MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 (or a combination) SD and HD video with integrated DVR and VOD capabilities, and is available for immediate deployment. "Our mission is to enable service operators to deliver live TV and value-added services, such as whole-home DVR, VOD, and online media services, throughout a home using existing in-home wiring," Entone CEO, Steve McKay, said in a prepared statement. "Our fully integrated solution significantly lowers the operating and capital costs for operators looking to rapidly deploy IPTV and next-generation TV services." Added Conklin-Intracom CEO, Ian Meletios: "We are always seeking innovative alternatives to better serve our customers. The benefits for customers needing an upgrade path to IPTV from DSL-based home video gateways was too significant to be ignored. We are confident this new cooperation will bear fruit for both Entone and Conklin-Intracom as customers migrate from their existing platforms to new advanced services offered by this combination."
