Solution developed for Ziggo dramatically increases interactive capabilities of CI Plus Standard

[Amsterdam, September 8, 2009]
Three companies at the forefront of redefining television -- ActiveVideo Networks, Neotion and eventIS -- today announced that they will demonstrate at IBC how cloud-based solutions can significantly increase the availability of interactive TV services on CI Plus enabled televisions.

The solution, which dramatically unleashes the interactive capabilities of the CI Plus ecosystem, has been developed in conjunction with Ziggo, the largest cable system operator in the Netherlands and the market leader in adopting CI Plus. The solution enables ActiveVideo’s network-based content approach to interface with eventIS Video-on- Demand back office capabilities to manage and deliver interactive programming directly to the television via Neotion advanced Hybrid IP capable CI Plus Conditional Access Modules.

A demonstration of the capabilities of the solution will be shown in the ActiveVideo Networks (5.B46), Neotion (4.B53) and eventIS (4.B80) booths September 11-15 at the RAI Amsterdam.

“Our adoption of CI Plus was based initially on its ability to securely deliver content from the network to the next generation of integrated digital televisions,” said Dave Renkema, Manager, New Product Development for Ziggo. “Through the efforts of innovative companies like ActiveVideo Networks, Neotion and eventIS, we’ve seen how the two-way capabilities of the standard and those same high levels of content protection can help us to securely deliver VoD, PVR functionality, Web video and other interactive content.”

“While CI Plus offers real benefits for operators in terms of cost effectiveness and security, we believe that maximising the full interactive capability of the standard will truly redefine viewer involvement with television,” said Ronald Brockmann, Managing Director, Europe for ActiveVideo. “The cloud-based approach that we will be showing at IBC will exponentially increase subscriber engagement with their televisions, while simultaneously enabling operators to reduce capital outlays on set-top boxes.”

The IBC exhibit will show how a full range of content and services – including VoD navigation, Web-based video, interactive advertising and other services – can be driven by server-based technologies. An ultra-thin client in the Conditional Access Module (CAM) passes user keystrokes to network servers, which interface with content management devices to create compressed video streams in response to user interaction. The compressed streams are unicast over IP or cable to integrated digital televisions equipped with Conditional Access Modules. “

eventIS, Neotion and ActiveVideo all share a belief that network-based interactivity will drive the future of television in Europe and around the world,” said Erwin van Dommelen, President of eventIS. “By working together to provide a single, integrated solution, we can help cable and IPTV service providers to accelerate deployment of CI Plus services and to quickly gain market share.”

“The ability of operators to bring the power of their brands and their customized user interfaces to the next generation of MPEG-4 digital TVs is only a starting point on the Neotion product roadmap,” said Loic Bernard, CEO of Neotion. “Our vision always has included using the two-way capabilities of the Conditional Access Module to deliver services that will generate brand loyalty among subscribers and build value for operators.”

ActiveVideo immerses viewers in an engaging experience that combines Web video, Web 2.0 functionality and traditional television. With ActiveVideo, viewers can navigate a completely interactive environment of both linear and broadband programming including rich interfaces and graphics optimized for TV and remote control navigation; Page 2 of 3 social networking; personal media; niche content; and targeted, actionable advertising. ActiveVideo is anticipated to be available in more than 5 million homes, a figure that does not include Ziggo, by the end of 2009.

Neotion CI Plus Hybrid IP modules seamlessly bring two way capabilities to legacy mainstream receivers and TV sets. Neotion’s advanced modules are tailored for TV operator’s needs to deliver services directly to digital TV sets, without the need of any STB. The Neotion secured silicon technology on module combines security features with two way interactive applications within a single device.

eventIS' network management capabilities allow cable operators to ensure the proper allocation of resources for the delivery of on-demand content and metadata, including ActiveVideo programming and applications. eventIS' highly-flexible, standards-based architecture (converged Service Delivery Platform) enables simultaneous support for cable or IP set-top boxes, as well as CI Plus Conditional Access Modules, via operators' managed network infrastructure.

About Ziggo
Ziggo is a nationwide provider of media and communications. Ziggo serves approximately 3.3 million households, 1.4 million broadband Internet customers, 1 million digital television customers and 750,000 telephony subscribers. The SME and large corporate market are using our products and services such as telephony, data communication and electronic payment options. The service area - with strong regional bases - stretches across the Netherlands.

About eventIS Group B.V.
Founded in 2002 and based in Eindhoven, Netherlands, eventIS develops and supports open software solutions for metadata management and video-on-demand, enabling broadband and broadcast television operators to offer advanced multiplatform services. Customers throughout Europe are delivering VOD and personal video recording services based on eventIS’s schedule management, content catalogue generation, transaction management and service assurance systems.  Visit www.eventIS.nl.

About Neotion
NEOTION is a public company created in January 2000, and listed since June 2006 on Alternext Euronext Paris. NEOTION is a leading provider of highly-sophisticated System-on-a-Chip (SoC) MPEG-4 processors, as well as turnkey sub-systems and reference designs enabling seamless integration and unrivalled time to market for the Consumer Electronics Industry and the TV Operators.

NEOTION’s secured silicons uniquely combine: MPEG-4, advanced security modes, and hybrid IP connectivity opening sidewise also towards digital home convergence, IPTV and TV 2.0. NEOTION is the inventor of the original MPEG-4 decoder in a card designed for Common Interface receivers (iDTV and STB). NEOTION offers a compelling range of disruptive MPEG4 Modules enabling, beyond MPEG-4 upgrade, secured silicon based Security, DVR functions in a SD-Card, and Hybrid IP home network capabilities for genuine legacy TV sets.

NEOTION also offers reference designs, API, SDK, and development boards enabling various levels of implementation and customization (from application specific, to dedicated chipset ROM code).

Neotion is an active stakeholder of the CI Plus LLP, as well as a member of DVB, DigiTAG, the Digital TV Group, OpenIPTV Forum and UPnP Forum.
- www.neotion-module.com: dedicated website for our [CI Plus] Modules and advanced secured Pockets.
- www.neotion-processor.com : dedicated website laying out all our processors & SoC solutions.
- www.neotion.com: our corporate website.

About ActiveVideo Networks
ActiveVideo Networks is the world leader in cloud-based interactive services that are redefining television (iTV 2.0). The company’s network-centric approach simply and inexpensively enables expanded programming, navigation and advertising possibilities, allowing viewers to define and share their TV experiences. ActiveVideo combines Web-based media and targeted, clickable advertisements with the high-quality video, immediate responsiveness and remote control navigation of television for uniform interactivity across all digital and IPTV settops, CI Plus enabled televisions, and broadband-connected CE devices. ActiveVideo Networks is based in the heart of Silicon Valley, with offices in Los Angeles, Baltimore and Hilversum, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.activevideo.com.

Contacts

Gradus Vos
Spokesperson Ziggo
+31 622 80 69 21
gradus.vos@office.ziggo.nl

Paul Schneider
PSPR, Inc. for ActiveVideo Networks
+1.215.702.9784 (office)
+1.215-817-4384 (mobile)
pspr@att.net

Monica Mulkens
Communications Manager eventIS
+31 (0)40 248 8178 (office) monica.mulkens@eventis.nl

Christophe Depernet
Neotion
+ 33 (0)4 42 98 15 25 or + 33 (0)6 84 00 88 49 cdepernet@neotion.com