NDS (Nasdaq:NNDS), the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, today announced that Gateway Broadcast Services (GBS), the dynamic new pan-African pay-TV service delivering choice, quality and innovation to African families, has broadened its relationship with NDS. GBS has chosen MediaHighway®middleware and NDS Electronic Program Guide (EPG) to enhance its pay-TV satellite service for sub-Saharan Africa.
NDS has been GBS’ technology partner since the launch of the service, branded GTV, in mid-2007. The operator relies on market-leading VideoGuard® conditional access (CA) technology, currently securing over 86.9 million active digital devices around the world.
Under the new agreement, MediaHighway middleware and EPG will feature in all new GTV set-top boxes (STBs), and will also be downloaded to all existing GTV STBs in a phased upgrade starting in Autumn 2008. The technology will enable GBS to strengthen its GTV brand by offering a common look and feel across current and future STBs, as well as improve the efficiency of its STB maintenance and customer care operations. MediaHighway also provides a solid foundation for the introduction of future service enhancements.
MediaHighway is a leader in the digital pay-TV market. NDS middleware has been deployed in over 83.1 million devices for pay-TV operators around the world.
GTV delivers top-quality TV entertainment and information services to customers who were previously unable to afford subscription TV. GTV’s service employs the very latest in satellite and STB technologies, providing customers with world-class digital reception and content at a price within the reach of middle-income Africans
Jon Bannerjee, NDS Regional Sales Manager, commented: “We’re pleased to be broadening our relationship with GBS, a company that is revolutionizing TV viewing in sub-Saharan Africa. This new agreement will allow GBS to efficiently deploy MediaHighway middleware and EPG to new STBs and upgrade existing STBs over-the-air, significantly widening the possibilities for strengthening its brand identity and improving the overall subscriber experience.”
Julian McIntyre, Founder and Managing Director of GBS, remarked: “We are confident that in NDS we have a long-term technology partner committed to helping us provide the best, most affordable pay-TV service to audiences in sub-Saharan Africa. We selected MediaHighway middleware and EPG because, like VideoGuard, they truly are best-in-class solutions.”
Bookmark: del.icio.us| Digg| Reddit| Newsvine| ma.gnolia| Yahoo| Google
About GTV
GTV is a dynamic new pan-African pay-TV service delivering choice, quality and innovation to a new breed of TV viewer. With a balanced and exciting choice of premium content, GTV is redefining pay-TV in Africa by offering it at a price point accessible to the ordinary African. GTV is committed to supporting local content as well as offering major international programming ideal for the whole family.
GTV is already available in Botswana, Burundi, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and is currently proceeding with a phased roll-out across sub-Saharan Africa including Francophone territories Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire.
The GTV service is provided by Gateway Broadcasting Services (GBS), a subsidiary of Gateway Communications. Gateway Communications is the leading provider of communications services to telecoms operators and corporations in Africa.
The direct-to-home, satellite-based service will deliver the highest quality digital reception across the continent. An advanced and efficient delivery platform substantially reduces the cost and ease of set-up for customers. GTV is delivered across Gateway Communications’ satellite infrastructure.
GTV was founded by Julian McIntyre, also President of Gateway Communications.
About NDS
NDS Group plc (NASDAQ:NNDS), a majority owned subsidiary of News Corporation, supplies open end-to-end digital technology and services to digital pay-television platform operators and content providers. See www.nds.com for more information about NDS.
Read about the latest developments at NDS and in the Pay TV industry in World Vision
Click here for the NDS RSS feed
Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-looking Statements
This document may contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management’s views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance as of the time the statements are made. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global economic, business, competitive market, regulatory and other factors. More detailed information about these and other factors that could affect future results is contained in our filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Any “forward-looking statements” included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and we do not have any obligation, nor do we undertake, to publicly update any “forward-looking statements” to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.
Contacts:
Cynthia Ritchie, T: +44 (0)20 8476 8378
Director,
Corporate Communications
critchie@nds.com
or
Breakaway
Communications for NDS
Kelly Fitzgerald, T: +1 212 616 6006
Managing
Partner
kfitz@breakawaycom.com
