[SatBroadcasting(tm)] Irdeto, a global software security and media technology company,has announced that Teleport Access Services (TAS), a leading provider of fixed satellite services in Taiwan, has signed an agreement with the Company to upgrade its conditional access system (CAS) to provide increased protection for its Direct-to-Operator service.

TAS is the largest satellite-based communication service operator in Taiwan with a total of 115 channels currently being uplinked to four different satellites. TAS partners with local and regional TV broadcasters, including GALA Television Corporation Taiwan, Sky Perfect JSAT Japan and STAR Group Hong Kong to offer reliable, high-performance cable feeds to Taiwanese cable TV households. Irdeto’s CAS 3 provides renewable security by updating smart cards, or software-based clients, over the air via Irdeto’s FlexiFlash technology. A built-in mechanism enables operators to quickly respond to piracy, allowing for major security and functionality changes to the smart card software without the operational costs usually associated with a physical smart card swap, thus speeding the deployment time of piracy counter measures or new services.