Tandberg Gets Tech Emmy for ‘OpenStream’ VOD Solution

National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to Recognize Video-Compression-Technology Supplier at Consumer Electronics Show

By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/18/2007 7:02:00 PM

Ericsson subsidiary Tandberg Television, best known as a supplier of video-compression technology, won a Technical and Engineering Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for its OpenStream video-on-demand software.

The award -- which will be presented to Tandberg during the Technical Emmy ceremony at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January -- recognizes the OpenStream Digital Services Platform for the "development, productization and commercialization of interactive video-on-demand two-way infrastructure and signaling, leading to large-scale VOD implementations."

OpenStream is designed to help cable operators deploy "open" VOD architectures using the hardware server of their choice, as well as third-party applications, billing systems and other system components.

It is used by customers such as Dutch cable operator UPC Broadband, which announced at the IBC2007 show earlier this month that it is deploying the Tandberg OpenStream software in combination with Motorola video servers to deliver VOD content to some 500,000 subscribers.

The OpenStream platform, introduced in 2002, is also used by Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, the National Cable Television Cooperative and Oriental Cable Network in China, among others.

"We are proud that the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has recognized the central role that OpenStream has played in the introduction of on-demand television,” said Eric Cooney, president and CEO of Tandberg Television, in a statement.

"VOD gives service providers the competitive advantage of offering TV subscribers high levels of consumer satisfaction and unparalleled control over watching their favorite TV programs,” he added. “With OpenStream, operators can rapidly deploy new consumer applications such as 'start-over' and network PVR [personal video recording] with a cost-effective, flexible and scaleable open VOD platform."