Companies to Provide Fully Integrated Platform With TiVo's World Renowned User Interface and PVR Features and Conax's Global Conditional Access Solutions
TiVo(R) Solution Enables Rapid, Cost Effective Implementation of Advanced Solutions
TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), a leader in advanced television services and personal video recorders (PVRs), and Conax, a leading global provider of security solutions for digital TV and content distribution, today announced that they have partnered to offer a next generation DVB set-top box platform for deployment by television operators around the world.
This relationship brings together two companies known for changing traditional approaches to pay television. TiVo is the gold standard for the delivery of advanced television services through an intuitive, stunning user interface, while Conax's multi-platform security technology forms the underpinning of television services delivered to operators covering over 100 million households in over 80 countries. Through this partnership, the companies will put the TiVo® experience, including its revolutionary integration of IP-delivered video into an off-the-shelf package that can be quickly and easily deployed by operators using Conax-certified platforms in Scandinavia, mainland Europe and India, among other geographies. All of this can be done without having to endure a cumbersome, costly middleware deployment that could slow progress and hinder business objectives.
Geir Bjørndal, Executive Vice President of Products & Markets at Conax, said, "While the European market is ripe for VOD and other interactive services, many operators are stifled by the expensive integration efforts needed to convert roadmaps into reality. TiVo has a phenomenal reputation in the US, not only for inventing the PVR, but for creating the market's most comprehensive hybrid broadcast/broadband platform. They are the only player that has successfully integrated top-tier content from diverse Internet sources like Netflix, Blockbuster, YouTube, and Amazon VOD along with linear television into a single, vivid user interface already available to consumers in the United States. Our European customers have made clear that they plan to deploy similar capabilities and we can't imagine a better technology partner than TiVo to help us make it happen, and strengthen our competitive market position."
Bjørndal added that interest in the new solution is already high from key customers connected to TV operations that include security provided by Conax. Integrating TiVo's software with Conax security solutions will reduce certain hardware costs and also allow for deeper assimilation of security within the new platform. Conax's growth has been significant during recent years primarily due to its open standards STB approach, providing a wide selection of certified consumer hardware devices. The new strategy will leverage TiVo's strong brand and more than 10 years of expertise developing advanced television platforms.
Joshua Danovitz, Vice President & General Manager International, TiVo Inc., said, "Conax has amassed a stellar record for helping its customers quickly launch new services in a variety of environments without major startup complexity. Its broad portfolio of set-top box and pay television partners is testament to the value of this approach. We are very enthusiastic about this new relationship with Conax, particularly because it means operators will soon be able to distribute a highly differentiated, next generation user interface that applies TiVo's leadership in marrying broadband delivered content with the traditional television experience."
Importantly, in certain key markets, operators will have the ability to license a solution from a trusted partner like Conax that includes the full breadth of TiVo's interactive platform without having to integrate technology from disparate vendors. This one-stop-shop approach provides a cost efficient solution without having to make do with generic user experiences or highly proprietary hardware platforms.
"As TiVo continues to expand its global distribution, we are increasingly focused on teaming with leading players like Conax that make it easier and faster to implement our products while avoiding cumbersome, time consuming approaches that slow our deployment objectives," said Naveen Chopra, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategy, TiVo Inc. "Conax's strategy complements ours in that we share a commitment to reduce time to market and are passionate about the strategic importance of a superior consumer experience."
Conax plans to make the integrated platform of TiVo software and Conax security solution available for commercial deployment in 2011.
About TiVo Inc. (www.tivo.com)
Founded in 1997, TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) developed the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). TiVo offers the TiVo service and TiVo DVRs directly to consumers online at www.tivo.com and through third-party retailers. TiVo also distributes its technology and services through solutions tailored for cable, satellite, and broadcasting companies. Since its founding, TiVo has evolved into the ultimate single solution media center by combining its patented DVR technologies and universal cable box capabilities with the ability to aggregate, search, and deliver millions of pieces of broadband, cable, and broadcast content directly to the television. An economical, one-stop-shop for in-home entertainment, TiVo's intuitive functionality and ease of use puts viewers in control by enabling them to effortlessly navigate the best digital entertainment content available through one box, with one remote, and one user interface, delivering the most dynamic user experience on the market today. TiVo also continues to weave itself into the fabric of the media industry by providing interactive advertising solutions and audience research and measurement ratings services to the television industry.
TiVo and the TiVo Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc. or its subsidiaries worldwide. © 2010 TiVo Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About Conax (www.conax.com)
Conax, a leading global provider of security solutions for digital TV and content distribution, provides content protection for premium pay-TV content via all types of networks -- cable, satellite, IP, terrestrial, and MMDS. Through its global network of partners, Conax is able to offer state-of-the-art content security to more than 350 digital TV operators in over 80 countries around the globe. Conax is ISO 9001 certified and ISO 27001 security certified. All Conax products are compliant with open standards.
Conax is part of the Telenor Group (www.telenor.com). Telenor Group has telecom operations in 14 countries, 172 million mobile subscriptions worldwide and is among the largest mobile operators in the world.
Conax headquarters are located in Oslo, Norway, with subsidiaries in USA, India, Germany, China and Brazil and sales & support offices in Russia, Singapore and South Korea.
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to, among other things, the timing and nature of the future availability of the integrated platform of TiVo software and Conax security solution. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "intend," "estimate," "continue," or similar expressions or the negative of those terms or expressions. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include delays in development, competitive service offerings and lack of market acceptance, as well as the other potential factors described under "Risk Factors" in the Company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2009, Quarterly reports on Form 10-Q since then, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect an analysis only and speak only as of the date hereof. TiVo disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Contacts:
For TiVo Inc.
Krista Wierzbicki
(408) 519-9438
kwierzbicki@tivo.com
For Conax
Leslie Johnsen
+47 41 45 80 43
leslie.johnsen@conax.com