Liberating Europe with STB open architecture and functional Server Middleware:
biz.yahoo.com
Liberate Consolidates Its Position as the Leading Provider of Software For Digital, Interactive Cable Services in Europe
AMSTERDAM, IBC, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberate Technologies (Nasdaq: LBRT - news), a leading provider of software for the delivery of enhanced television content, has agreed to terms with UPC, Europe's largest network operator with 9.5 million homes passed and more than 6.3 million cable subscribers, to deploy digital interactive services to its cable television subscribers, starting with UPC's (Nasdaq: UPCOY - news) operation in Vienna, Austria. These services will include the use of applications such as e-mail, walled garden content, chat, e-commerce and banking. Parties expect to sign final documentation shortly.
(Photo: newscom.com )
Gene Musselman, COO of UPC commented: ``Selecting the Liberate software platform as part of our multi-vendor strategy is a natural step given the fact that it has already been deployed, and it will give our subscribers a compelling choice of interactive services. The addition of Liberate's middleware fulfills all our requirements, including its open architecture.''
Liberate has managed an aggressive expansion into the European market with a technology platform based on an open architecture, which has been fundamental in the successful deployment of interactive services to cable subscribers in Europe. The company now has agreements with Ono in Spain, and NTL, Telewest and CWC (now owned by NTL) in the UK.
UPC may license the Liberate TV Platform(TM) software, which enables cable, satellite and telecommunication companies to deliver applications that integrate the Web's interactivity with the richness of TV-based content.
Mitchell Kertzman, president and CEO, Liberate Technologies, said: ``UPC has constantly been a front-runner in the development of innovative broadband services to its customers, and we will help them deliver the kinds of services that will give them a real competitive edge in this market.''
Liberate has established a proven record of success with leading cable, telecommunications, satellite and Internet service provider companies. The Liberate TV Platform provides enhanced TV capabilities that offer maximum flexibility and a broad array of applications. As the leading Internet-based platform for interactive television, providing HTML and JavaScript support, Liberate continues to drive open standards. Liberate is a founder of ATVEF (Advanced Television Enhancement Forum), and a member of ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) project, ATV Forum, OpenCard, W3C (Worldwide Web Coalition), as well as OpenCable.
The Liberate TV Platform software consists of the Liberate TV Navigator(TM) client software and Liberate Connect(TM) server software. Liberate TV Navigator lets network operators deliver applications on set-top boxes that integrate the Web's interactivity with the richness of TV-based content. Liberate Connect offers a services management platform to deploy applications that deliver a unique interface to the service and enable the cable operator to integrate the service with its brand identity.
About UPC
UPC, a consolidated subsidiary of UnitedGlobalCom, Inc. (Nasdaq: UCOMA - news; ``United'') owns and operates broadband communications networks in 17 countries in Europe and in Israel. Headquartered in Amsterdam, UPC is one of the most innovative broadband communications companies in Europe. UPC provides cable television, telephony, high-speed internet access and programming services. UPC completed an IPO in February 1999 and its shares are traded on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and Nasdaq (``UPCOY''). Microsoft has an interest of approximately 8% in UPC. UPC has over 8,000 employees. As of June 30, 2000, UPC's number of Total Homes Passed (consolidated, excluding acquisitions) reached approximately 9.5 million. The number of basic cable subscribers on this basis was 6.3 million. In addition, UPC had 362,000 telephony lines as well as 230,000 Internet
subscribers. On an aggregate basis (pro-forma for announced acquisitions and including minority interests), as of June 30, 2000 UPC's total footprint (Aggregate Homes Passed) reached 17,767,000.
About Liberate Technologies
Liberate Technologies is a leading provider of a complete software platform for delivering Internet-enhanced content and applications to information appliances, such as television set-top boxes and game consoles. Liberate's Internet-based client and server software allows network operators, such as telecommunications companies, cable and satellite television operators and Internet service
providers to provide consumers access to network operator-branded applications and services. Headquartered in San Carlos, California, the company has sales offices in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
Early Liberate investors include: Acer, America Online, Comcast, Cox Communications, General Instrument, Hambrecht & Quist, Lucent Technologies, Netscape, Nintendo, MediaOne Ventures, Oracle, Rogers Communications, Sega, Shaw Communications, Sony, Sun Microsystems, and Wind River Systems.
biz.yahoo.com |
