The Dutch pay-TV and fibre provider Kabelnoord will be extending its use of 24i’s Smart Apps and Smart Video products to add more OTT channels and launch the first Kabelnoord streaming applications for smart TVs.
Kabelnoord selected 24i’s end-to-end solution in 2018 to add more interactive services to its pay-TV portfolio. Using the pre-integrated combination of 24i’s white-label Smart Apps front-end and Smart Video backend, it was able to offer its customers a range of new services. Subscribers can now watch live TV, pause, restart, catch up, and manage their own network PVR service on set-top boxes from 24i’s sister company Amino or using apps for laptops, mobiles and tablets.
Following the implementation of 24i’s turnkey solution, Kabelnoord is taking the next step and expanding the service to smart TVs from Samsung and LG. At the same time, it will expand its use of the Smart Video backend to build its OTT proposition by adding more streamed channels alongside its DVB-C linear broadcast. Kabelnoord customers will be able to watch all the OTT content on smart TVs without needing any additional hardware.
Commenting on the development, Wybren Lieuwes, system & network architect at Kabelnoord, said: “As the market shifts to OTT, we want to ensure that our customers enjoy cutting-edge interactive TV experiences.
“24i has been an invaluable partner in our journey. Having previously deployed a multi-vendor solution, we were very aware of the integration and other challenges of that model. The 24i end-to-end solution has helped us launch modern TV services while benefiting from one point of contact and avoiding the headache of multi-vendor solutions. We are pleased to be continuing our partnership with 24i to add to our OTT offering. When it comes to OTT services, it’s important to find the right partner and 24i is definitely the right fit for us”.
Joachim Bergman, CEO at 24i, added: “The 24i end-to-end solution is designed to address the challenges that operators face head-on.
“We know that operators are under pressure to control costs and investing in a large technical team for their streaming operations is not an option. Our turnkey solution allows them to offload much of the day-to-day monitoring and technology management to 24i, as well as benefiting from a white label front-end solution on all kinds of devices. This means our customers have peace of mind about their streaming technology and can channel their resources to other parts of their business where they are needed most. Building on our great work so far, we are pleased that Kabelnoord has chosen to extend their use of our end-to-end operator solution when planning their Smart TV strategy. This is the right time for all operators to expand their OTT portfolios and Kabelnoord is definitely gearing up for further success”.