[SatNews] Conax, part of the Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD:S), announces the company has entered a contract with StarTimes to co-develop a media gateway solution for its Africa operations.
With more than five million DTH and DTT subscribers and operations across 16 countries, the operator is one of the largest players in the region. In their expanded cooperation, Conax will provide StarTimes with security client Conax Trusted Link™, security expertise and the technical blueprint for designing and deploying a complete, secure multi-room service. The unique new “Whole Home” solution will provide an advanced service for Africa households making it much easier to share Live TV and PVR within the home, without needing an Internet connection.
The cooperation further strengthens StarTimes long-time partnership with security provider Conax and will be the first initiative in fulfilling StarTimes’ ambitions to build a next generation platform for its expanding Africa operations. Serving households without Internet access is the key differentiator between the unique stand-alone Conax/StarTimes solution and traditional media gateway solutions. Delivery is planned for Q4, 2015.
The media gateway solution will be based on a highly advanced master PVR developed by StarTimes, and supplemented by tablets, smart phones and a secondary simple low-cost Android set-top-box. The new service will enable all live content from the master PVR, plus PVR recordings, streamed to supplementary in-home devices. Consumers can also program and steer the PVR from the in-home devices.
Conax will deliver Conax Trusted Link™, a new purpose-built security client for in-home distribution of content from a media gateway to a selection of STBs, tablets and smartphones. The distribution of both live TV content and PVR content within the home is fully controlled through Conax Contego™. In addition, Conax will provide the StarTimes technical team with guidance in the base design of the media gateway solution; in both security and interaction design. StarTimes’ highly experienced technical team will develop and build the media gateway, secondary STBs, and the tablet and smart phone apps.