Internet TV provider Zattoo will develop and host an end-to-end multiscreen IPTV platform for Telecom Liechtenstein, marking the Swiss company’s first deployment of a complete IPTV platform for a network operator.
Zattoo will roll out the platform in the second half of 2014. The Swiss company will take care of the full technical implementation, operation and management from satellite ingest to the entire technical platform comprising live TV, catch-up TV and a recording function. Zattoo’s service will also cover front ends (TV, iOS, Android) and life cycle management of the set-top boxes.
ABOX42, a German manufacturer of IPTV and OTT set-top boxes, will supply the boxes. The devices will fully support typical DVB-C features such as HbbTV.
With some 140 carried TV stations, Telecom Liechtenstein is an established provider for DVB-C and IPTV. The technical implementation of its multiscreen IPTV package which was previously managed in-house will be provided by Zattoo.
“For us at Telecom Liechtenstein, the decisive factor is that we can offer a TV product that is 100% state of the art,” said Markus Willi, president of the administrative board at Liechtenstein’s national telco. “It has to be available on a variety of devices – including mobile devices – because it is no longer enough to just serve conventional TV sets. That is the heart of the product.”
“Today’s modern customers also want to enjoy live TV on their second screens such as tablet PCs and smartphones. And they expect time-shift viewing and TV recording as standard features,” said Willi. “Developing and operating a system of this kind would be an extremely complex, time-intensive process. That’s why we chose Zattoo as our technology service provider: They have proven that they can not only develop a high-quality IPTV product, but also operate it for us,” explained Willi and added: “We are free to concentrate on our strengths: service delivery and customer relationship management.”
Nick Brambring, CEO of Zattoo, said: “For Zattoo, our new partnership with Telecom Liechtenstein is a major step and confirmation for our strategy of establishing a strong B2B presence alongside our B2C business. In past years, we have proved again and again that we can develop and provide full hosting for top-quality TV services for network operators. Expanding these TV services from the second screens to the first screen is the next logical step for us.”
“To do so, we are building on the foundation that has made us what we are today: our proprietary end-to-end platform for the distribution of TV and video content,” explained Brambring. “We combine this with a set-top box that has already been deployed successfully in numerous other projects. With this combination, we offer a fully-hosted TV-as-a-service solution, which presents an extremely interesting opportunity particularly for small and medium-sized network operators in Germany and Switzerland.”
With its end-to-end IPTV platform, Zattoo targets B2B customers such as internet service providers, FTTH operators and city carriers. The solution enables them to distribute a TV product as a service without having to invest in their own hardware, software or in-house team of experts. According to Zattoo, by relying on its backend technology, network operators can minimise their investment risk and increase their options for launching IPTV offerings quickly, freeing them up to concentrate on the customer relationships which remain in their hands.
The user interface design can be adapted to the network operator’s individual requirements. A key figure of the solution is the play-out and streaming: Zattoo transmits the streams directly to the partner’s network without routing through the free, open Internet. This enables the delivery of hosted IPTV serving set-top boxes, smartphones and tablets alike.
Zattoo will offer an exclusive look at its new IPTV product at the upcoming cable, satellite and broadband fair ANGA COM in Cologne (May 20-22, 2014).
