As the company faces shareholder pressure and searches for a new CEO, Ericsson of late has made a number of major moves to bolster its growing pay-TV business line.
Last week, the Swedish telecom giant announced a deal with Google to integrate Ericsson’s MediaFirst TV Platform with Google’s Android TV. This means pay-TV operators using Android TV also will be able to offer access to MediaFirst, a software-defined solution that covers everything from creation, preparation, management and delivery of TV content to any screen, including support for 4K-UHD live, video on demand and a cloud-based DVR.
“By expanding our range of set-top box options, we are giving Ericsson MediaFirst TV customers the opportunity to deliver cutting-edge, large-scale video services and respond to the surge in adoption of smart devices, broadband connectivity and cloud-based delivery,” said Shiva Patibanda, Ericsson’s head of business line TV platforms.
“Our partnership with Google will empower operators of all sizes and resources to take control and leverage multiple monetization and partnership opportunities offered by Android TV, enabling them to deliver experiences to their audiences that fully integrate their pay-TV services with Android TV applications and OTT services,” Patibanda said.
Also on the TV front, Ericsson is working with Belgian provider Proximus to offer expanded multiscreen cloud DVR services.
Jean-Marc Capitaine, director of consumer product and solutions at Proximus, said: “At Proximus we are dedicated to giving our viewers the best possible service and guaranteeing their enjoyment through the delivery of outstanding content experiences. Flexibility is a must-have for today’s TV consumers as they look to watch their favorite programs both inside and outside the home, on a variety of devices. Ericsson’s expertise is helping us to offer exactly this level of flexibility, giving our viewers the opportunity to enjoy a service that they can mold around their connected life styles.”
Features of the MultiScreen Headend include the ability to:
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Watch content on one screen and then continue it on a different screen;
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Record content on a smartphone for later viewing on a tablet;
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Swipe content with one simple hand movement from a tablet/smartphone to the TV;
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Use a mobile device as a virtual remote control; and
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View live TV, time-shifted replay and recording experiences across all screens.
