German receiver manufacturer TechnoTrend Görler is changing its name into Kathrein TechnoTrend. This underscores the company’s strategic reorientation within the Kathrein group.
Kathrein TechnoTrend will now be orienting itself as a market specialist in partnerships with network operators and platform providers. In this context, Kathrein TechnoTrend is also reinforcing its management team: Since May 2013, Volker Belz (48) has headed the company’s sales activities as new Chief Sales Officer (CSO) and thereby completes the management board. Belz previously worked at TeleColumbus.
At the cable company, Belz was responsible among other things for the setup of digital Free- and Pay-TV platforms as well as the introduction of the first generation of HD receiv-ers and PVRs at Tele Columbus and PrimaCom. “The rapid development of content, new applications on the multimedia market and changes in user behavior provide excellent perspectives for Kathrein TechnoTrend as a flexible and specialized provider,” said Belz in a statement. “I am happy to be con-tinuing my activities for KATHREIN, which I have started late 2012, in this dynamic market environment – now with an expanded area of responsibility.”
For over 20 years, Kathrein TechnoTrend has offered network operators and their customers the technology for custom-tailored digital television and value-added services. In December 2012, the company decided to pursue a new strategic direction with a clearer profile in order to position itself as a partner for network operators and platform providers. Kathrein Tech-noTrend concentrates on hybrid system solutions for the operator market. This includes the development of its own high-performance receiver hard-ware and middleware solutions as well as the technical integration of suita-ble middleware from strong partners. In addition to Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, its target markets are the Middle East, Latin America as well as new markets in North and South Africa.
“The new name of the TechnoTrend company under the umbrella brand of KATHREIN highlights the growing significance of the operator business for the entire Group,” explains Frank Ullmann, Managing Director Kathrein TechnoTrend. “The operator CPE market will now see enormously dynamic growth in the direction of hybrid and convergent devices. Kathrein TechnoTrend and its partners are well positioned to make an important contribution to this development and profit from the coming growth. The appoint-ment of a new CSO who knows the strategic needs of the market and comes to us with an extensive network of international contacts is a further important step for the reorientation of our receiver business on the international operator market.”
