feature iptv
CAS & content
security
Steve Oetegenn - chief sales & marketing officer at Verimatrix,
discusses the implications of IPTV and network security.
I
PTV continues to shake up the models, offering the best of both provide a service which allows them
television industry, challenging worlds to customers. to tailor to their own needs.
conventional business models and End users, who have embraced new There is one aspect of the television
practices and forcing pay-TV video technologies, are now exerting industry which remains constant.
operators to re-evaluate their greater influence and control over the Content is king in the television world
operations to ensure they industry and they are key to the as consumers tend to be driven by
maintain customer share in a highly industry’s future. Developing television specific, or niche programming rather
competitive marketplace. The viewing trends see consumers than loyalty to particular channels.
technology is quickly establishing itself embracing interactive and on-demand However, securing premium content
as the fourth television broadcasting Above: Steve services that allow them to take coupled with other desirable features,
channel, alongside cable, satellite and
Oetegenn, chief
sales & marketing
control over their own TV schedules. In enabled through IPTV, attracts and
terrestrial. Informa Telecoms & Media
officer at Verimatrix.
the UK alone in the last year, Britons retains a solid customer base. IPTV as
reinforces this message, recently watched more than 180 million TV a content delivery mechanism needs
classifying IPTV as a ‘disruptive programmes through BBC iPlayer on to offer security to protect the value
technology that is hitting rival triple- all sorts of video-enabled devices, not of key content assets. Pay-TV
play operators while benefiting just through the television. operators shell out huge sums of
consumers by driving down prices’. Its The industry is now more attuned money to be able to sign up exclusive
report, entitled ‘IPTV: A Global
Security and
to consumer personalisation of time content in high demand, such as high
Analysis’, notes that cable and satellite
conditional
and place - a radical shift from the profile live sports coverage or film
operators are now offering cheaper traditional broadcast model that premieres, and therefore the need for
mini-packages of television channels,
access
played out static content, according to robust protection is paramount. Once
and some satellite operators are now systems have a predetermined schedule, to a fixed exclusivity is lost, the value related to
getting involved in hybrid systems,
traditionally
device in the home. The strong content disappears with it and both
using IPTV to offer supplementary
been tackled
growth of the DVR market for the consumer and content owner lose
services - another growing trend as
through the
example, which Informa Telecoms & out.
the best ways to keep ahead in the Media forecast would reach 56.1 Security and conditional access
industry are explored.
use of smart
million installed DVRs worldwide by systems have traditionally been
The IPTV industry is forecast to cards in set- the end of last year, has given tackled through the use of smart cards
burgeon over the next five years,
top boxes...
consumers a taste of interactivity, in set-top boxes, which has been an
tripling growth by 2013 to create 57
recent years
video-on-demand (VOD), time-shifting effective solution. However smart
million IPTV homes, according to the
have seen the
and electronic programme guides. cards present some difficulties for
same report, which goes on to
introduction
Audiences have responded extremely operators including an expensive and
comment that penetration will remain positively - never before have time intensive task to replace cards for
fairly low at 4% due to difficulties in
of software-
viewing habits changed so quickly upgrades. Recent years have seen the
attracting subscribers away from their based and markedly over such a short time. introduction of more cost effective and
current and long-established providers.
solutions.
From a competitive market easy-to-manage software-based
There is no doubt the technology will perspective, pay-TV operators that are security solutions. Such solutions can
retain its popularity, but as business able to offer their customers flexible be managed and upgraded ‘over the
models mature we can expect to see services will have a marked air’, with minimal disruption to
further consolidation with TV and advantage, being able to retain subscribers and the operator. It has
telecoms operators creating hybrid customers with ‘sticky’ features and been widely adopted by IPTV
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30 l ibe l January/February 2009 l www.ibeweb.com
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