the connected world supplement special report Continued from Page S21.
and media consumption, and as more mobile devices are integrated with IPTV they will bring an increasing level of interactivity and flexibility. Personalised linear and on-demand content services will be delivered into multi-screen environments both in the home and for consumers on the move. In addition, as mentioned in the Release 2 comments above, mobile devices may be used not only for watching TV, but also as service control points, allowing selection and control of personal content services. With the OIPF and bmcoforum each
being lead organisations in effective standardisation of mass market services and devices, the merger optimises the use of their combined resources and efforts.
Selection in Singapore
As a public proof-point of the value of the work of the Forum, in Q4 2010 the OIPF announced that its IPTV specifications had been
recommended by the Infocomm (IDA) and Media Development Authorities (MDA) of the Singapore Government in the NIMS project, which was established to encourage an industry ecosystem for interactive multimedia application and services, especially in the area of IPTV. As part of a thorough evaluation
process, Forum members demonstrated a representative end- to-end IPTV system, with cross-
Continued from Page S29.
Swisscom’s Bern facilities and then transferred to a server cluster running Wowza Media Server 2 for playout. A high-performance video engine, Wowza Media Server 2 simultaneously delivers that content from the single encode to multiple clients and devices. Satisfying demand for video delivered anytime and to any screen, the adaptive multi-bitrate streaming solution implemented at Swisscom TV
air is an early real-world example of how one affordable unified solution can serve multiple platforms, among them Microsoft Silverlight 4 Smooth Streaming and Apple iPhone/iPad, as well as other HLS-compatible devices. Swisscom TV air has become the first service of its kind to bundle advertising-free delivery of live and on-demand video to customers on
their smartphones and tablets as well as their home computers - all for a single subscription price. Today, the service offersmore than 50 live TV channels, 21 Event (pay-per-view) TV channels, 70 radio stations, and a wide variety of on-demand content any time to any screen. After just over a year in operation, Swisscom TV air has attracted some 200,000 subscribers of its own. Irish public service broadcaster RTÉ, which provides comprehensive and cost-effective free-to-air television, radio and online services, also
has implemented the Wowza Media Server platform. Using the unified media server, RTÉ Ireland’s NewsNow streams news and current events 24 hours a day to any screen, including Flash, iPhone, and Android devices. RTÉ implemented the solution after recognising that the traditional, segregated model would mean investing in twice the number of servers
and dealing with twice the complexity of the unified model. After considering the associated increase in staff and staff training, RTÉ anticipated twice the overall expense, as well. The affordable adaptive streaming model enabled by the Wowza platform allowed the cost-conscious non- profit broadcaster to expand its streaming services rather than abandon it in the face of high costs for segregated operations.
Summary
The wide availability of high-bandwidth connectivity and the rapidly increasing ownership of mobile devices have brought broadcasters and other content providers a tremendous opportunity to launch new services and bring in additional - and much needed - revenue streams. By implementing a unified media server, the broadcasters can launch such services in a strategic manner that supports current streaming technologies and holds the door open for new features and technologies. With a single server software solution enabling streaming from a common set of on-demand or live asset encodes simultaneously to any supported player device over any protocol, broadcasters can maximise the value of their assets across today’s expanding assortment of mobile devices and players.
S30 l ibe l the connected world supplement september/october 2011 l
www.ibeweb.com
OIPF is a community which believes that standardisation is crucial for the IPTV industry.
“OIPF specifications are increasingly relevant in a rapidly evolving market. OIPF is moving from a ‘definition’ phase to one of ‘adoption’.” Dr Nilo Mitra, president of OIPF.
“OIPF specifications value is increasingly important at this time of media transformation, as they provide a tool for cost reduction and to improve time to market.” Luca Pesando,
vice-president of OIPF.
"Updated OIPF specifications bring many...exciting entertainment services, products and solutions one step closer to real- world, revenue generating...
consumer adoption.” Mohammed Dadas, vice president of OIPF.
industry participation from 10 OIPF members. The solution addressed a wide variety of requirements, including end-user switching of service providers, content protection interoperability and rich interactive services. The ability to see the OIPF
specifications in operation was fundamental to the evaluation performed by NIMS, and the announcement by the NIMS panel provided further evidence of the growing momentum behind the adoption of the OIPF's specifications worldwide. Organisation
During the year the tenures of the OIPF board and several officers came to an end, and the leadership team has seen an injection of new faces, including a new president in Dr Nilo
Mitra. Dr Mitra, New York based engineering director (systems) at Ericsson, will be supported in his role by vice presidents Dr Luca Pesando of Telecom Italia and Mohammed Dadas of Orange France Telecom. All three have been heavily involved in the work of the OIPF since its foundation over four years ago. In a move signaling recognition of
the need to increase efforts to promote the results of its work, the OIPF has also appointed Darren Vogel as marketing director and chair of the OIPF marketing committee, supported by co-chairs Arnaud Vilain of France Telecom and David ‘Borris’ Fell from ANT Software. Vogel previously worked as business development director for Accenture's digital media services division as well as fronting successful, industry-leading mobile content initiatives from pioneering businesses including WiderThan, RealNetworks and Buongiorno.
Conclusion
It’s been another eventful and rewarding year for the OIPF, with much of the groundwork initially envisaged over four years ago now completed. The excitement mounts as the organisation moves into the next phase of development and activity, and the Forum extends an invitation to all in the IPTV and Internet video spaces to join in its efforts to move the industry forward in a more coordinated and coherent way.
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