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This is a hidden gem!
Today's New York Times has a very interesting frontpage article on the pharmaceutical industry - it may be very very relevant to CTSO. A few points worth mentioning
-All the drug company's in Europe have been downgraded by M.Stanley because the operating environment is worsening rapidly because of multiple reasons - drought of bockbuster drug breakthroughs and research discoveries, pressure from insurance companies to hold down prices, thousands of layoffs in R&D and a new Fedral program to allow generic versions of expensive biologic drugs!
- Drug cos. executives are addressing calls for reinvention frm analyts who say the industry became too dependent on a business model built around blockbuster drugs.
Pfizer's president stated,"We have to fix our innovative core" His co. is refocusing on smaller niches in cancer, inflammation, neurosciences.
I would seriously recommend this article to all - we seem to be in a very timely market for the pharmaceutical industry to be interested in us.
Today's New York Times has a very interesting frontpage article on the pharmaceutical industry - it may be very very relevant to AEMD. A few points worth mentioning
-All the drug company's in Europe have been downgraded by M.Stanley because the operating environment is worsening rapidly because of multiple reasons - drought of bockbuster drug breakthroughs and research discoveries, pressure from insurance companies to hold down prices, thousands of layoffs in R&D and a new Fedral program to allow generic versions of expensive biologic drugs!
- Drug cos. executives are addressing calls for reinvention frm analyts who say the industry became too dependent on a business model built around blockbuster drugs.
Pfizer's president stated,"We have to fix our innovative core" His co. is refocusing on smaller niches in cancer, inflammation, neurosciences.
I would seriously recommend this article to all - we seem to be in a very timely market for the pharmaceutical industry to be interested in us.
The ISOfed will give credibility to the company once it is purchased by the major networks and then make it easier for the co. to sell the IPTV product/products. IPTV is the way of the future. What Netflix/Redbox have done to Blockbuster, IPTV can do the same to cable TV i.e. wipe it out.The new TV sets are built internet ready. HD shows are streamed online allready at a fraction of the price compared to what one pays the cable companies. IPTV is extremely promising and hopefully AKYI can ride that wave.
Good post. People have to remember that it is certainly a very hard working group of people who run the company. They have worked and come up with excellent products in the past but it solely because of financial issues that those products did not come to fruition. It was even more difficult because the economy went topsy-turvy! I am amazed that these guys have persisted the way they have against all odds. I have been an investor for a long time and at times had doubts about the survival of this company but for some reason my instincts about the management told me to hold on. I am hopeful that will pay me off as much as it will pay them off.
This could be big - http://www.ipworldtv.com/index.html.
See the second para. in the news and events section - is it because of AKYI that BBC and turner broadcasting may choose IPWorldTV?. Also, under Cutting Edge Technology the last line mentions secure content delivery network - that has to be a reference to AKYI.
http://www.fierceonlinevideo.com/story/netflix-addresses-customer-complaints-over-streaming-service/2009-03-23
http://www.fierceiptv.com/story/endavo-media-teams-thecooltv-ott-delivery-concert-videos/2010-04-01
http://www.fierceiptv.com/story/could-ipad-be-tv-game-changer/2010-02-23
http://www.fierceiptv.com/story/isuppli-china-iptv-subs-set-double/2010-03-26
2
Global IPTV Subscribers to Reach 68 Million by 2014, Strategy Analytics
Asia and Western Europe Lead
Boston, MA - March 22, 2010 – IPTV subscriptions are poised to grow from over 30 million in 2010 to 68 million by the end of 2014, according to forecasts from analyst firm Strategy Analytics. Asia Pacific and Western Europe will lead in deployments, says the firm. The findings are announced as industry leaders prepare to attend the IPTV World Forum in London this week.
While IPTV’s future does look promising, providers still have substantial work to do.
“One constant theme we’ve seen in our multi-country survey work is a low perceived value-for-money among pay-tv subscribers,” noted David Mercer, Vice-President of the Strategy Analytics Digital Consumer Practice. “Service providers need to concentrate on coherently explaining IPTV’s value proposition—something that few have been able to successfully achieve so far.”
IPTV needs to go beyond simply competing at par with other pay-tv platforms, says Strategy Analytics.
“Telcos have a deeply-ingrained “monopoly mindset,” noted Ben Piper, Director of the Strategy Analytics Multiplay Market Dynamics service. “IPTV represents the first time they have ever been second to market, and building to well-established consumer expectations is no easy task. IPTV needs to do more than replicate what the cable companies are offering. To be successful, it needs to surpass it.”
Digital Consumer Practice
DCP Blog
Press release contact
Ben Piper
Phone number: +1 617 614 0723
Email: Contact me
Posted March 19, 2010
SNL Kagan Indicates IPTV's Rapid Growth Could Fuel Global Multichannel TV Hypercompetition
By 2013, IPTV’s global subscriber share is expected to grow to 8.3%; revenues expected to reach 9.8% of global pay-TV revenues.
Monterey, Calif. (March 18, 2010) – According to SNL Kagan, IPTV is emerging as a strong market alternative in the increasingly competitive global multichannel space. IPTV, which accounted for only 0.01% of global multichannel households at year-end 2003, grew to include 4.9% of pay-TV subscribers in 2009. SNL Kagan projects the number of IPTV subscribers will grow to 59.7 million by 2013, translating to an 8.3% subscriber share. IPTV video service revenues are expected to reach $22.6 billion by 2013, accounting for 9.8% of total global pay-TV revenues. IPTV operations have weathered the global recession with subscribers growing 46.9% year-over-year between 2008 and 2009 while revenues grew 69%.
“Telco’s penetration of the video business has the potential to fuel multichannel TV hypercompetition,” said SNL Kagan senior analyst Ben Reneker. “As pay-TV operators face increasing pressure to meet consumer expectations for channel diversity and on-demand offerings, IPTV will be well-positioned to deliver, further eroding cable and DTH subscriber share globally.”
According to SNL Kagan analysis, which will appear in an upcoming whitepaper entitled “The State of Global IPTV,” Western Europe leads the global IPTV realm with 13.2 million IPTV subscribers at year-end 2009, followed by Asia Pacific and North America, with 9.6 million and 6 million subscribers, respectively. However, SNL Kagan forecasts Asia Pacific will surpass Western Europe in IPTV subscriber population, reaching 19.3 million by 2012. North America, currently the most lucrative IPTV market globally, is positioned to maintain its top position for the foreseeable future.
“The State of Global IPTV” will examine recent IPTV market trends and will present forecasts for the platform's growth during a five-year period, from 2009 to 2013, in six regions: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. It will be made available during the IPTV World Forum 2010, where Reneker will host a roundtable discussion focusing on the strategic and revenue opportunities available to pay-TV operators that embrace OTT content. The Forum – to be held 23-25 March 2010 at Olympia National Hall in London – brings together operators, technology partners and content providers to explore and define the IPTV evolution. The roundtable will take place on Day One of the Forum, at 8:15 am. For more details, visit www.iptv-forum.com.
“The State of Global IPTV” and other reports are available to subscribers of the SNL Kagan Unlimited information service. For more information on SNL Kagan, contact Sales at 866.296.3743; SNLKaganSales@SNL.com.
About SNL Kagan
SNL Kagan, a division of SNL Financial LC, is a comprehensive resource for financial intelligence in the media and communications sector, including the broadcasting, cable, entertainment, motion picture, telecom, wireless, satellite, publishing and new media industries. The SNL Kagan suite of products integrates breaking news, comprehensive data and expert analysis into an electronic database available online and updated around the clock. For more information, visit www.snlkagan.com.
Visit the SNL Press Room to learn more about resources available to members of the media.
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Read more: http://www.fiercetelecom.com/press_releases/snl-kagan-indicates-iptvs-rapid-growth-could-fuel-global-multichannel-tv-hypercompeti#ixzz0j45uN3v7
iSuppli: STB shipments increasing
By Dan O'Shea Comment | Forward |
Perhaps the reports of the set-top box's death have been greatly exaggerated. Hybrid STB developments have surged, Google reportedly is entering the game in some way, and now, market research firm iSuppli is predicting that STB shipments will jump by about 11.5 percent in 2010 to 147.8 million shipments worldwide. Though several reports last year assessed the STB market as headed for a slow fade in the next few years, iSuppli sees growth continuing through 2014, when STB shipments are forecast to reach 193.9 million.
The STB sector is expected to ride a wave of new residential gateway technology development and growth in IPTV subscriptions that will see IPTV hit 123 million customer units by 2014.
For more:
- Here's the iSuppli press release
Related articles
In-Stat also saw the STB market lifting
ABI last year liked the outlook for IP STBs
Thank you for the article. I share the same thoughts that being late may be good for AKYI. At the same time it also shows amazing foresight by the mgmt. as they have been working on this product for 3-4 years and that too with a skeleton crew.
Would this help IPTV?
Cisco to introduce new heavy-duty Internet router
Cisco to introduce new heavy-duty Internet router, freshening up product line
On Tuesday March 9, 2010, 11:43 am
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Cisco is upgrading one of its biggest pieces of networking hardware, an router that's used to power the most trafficked parts of the Internet backbone.
Cisco Systems Inc., the world's largest maker of computer networking gear, said Tuesday it is replacing its aging CRS-1 "core router," which was introduced in 2004. The new CRS-3 is three times faster. Cisco says it can handle 322 terabits of traffic per second, or simultaneous video calls for every person in China.
Cisco competes in the core router market with Juniper Network Inc., which has updated its products more recently than Cisco. The CRS-3 will sell for $90,000 and up.
Would major set-top manufacturers like Cisco, Motorola be interested in incorporating AKYI's technology in their boxes? Any input would help.
Major contracts from what kind of corporations? Just to get an idea.
What does the OIB do?
It may help if the company lays it out in non-technical words as to what the OIB does, why is it groundbreaking as they claim, why would major studios want it etc., For a lay person like me, currently it just sounds like a fancy STB. I am sure it is much more than that but the co. should make that clear for the investors also. Meanwhile can anyone help on this?
Also, I do hope that they come out with announcements on the smartphone cases and the key-vault soon.
By the way, for some vengeful bashers whom I put on the ignore list, maybe the moderators should ban them from posting on this board.
REPOST : Why did the new COO join this Co. ?
Hi everyone. I have been an investor in this co. since the days of EWAN. Looking back 3-4 years it was foolish at the time to invest in EWAN. But the new mgmt over the past few years are a bunch of folks who seem honest, determined, very very smart and innovative to say the least. I say this just by observing how things have unfolded over the past two years.
The new COO has an impressive resume. I am sure he was earning a decent sum at his previous employment. I have no idea as to whether he was planning to leave his previous co. already or whether he jumped ship to join AKYI. In either case he must have seen something extremely promising in AKYI. He is smart enough to have seen the balance sheets which we all know are not attractive currently. He knows that this is a six man co. with him included. He knows the history of this enterprise. So not only did he see something in terms of potential products but I guess he also saw promising potential in the current mgmt. - potential enough to realize profits soon. Otherwise why would he want to risk having his decent income disrupted yearly at this stage in his career? He must have realized that benefit has to be much more than the risk to join this co. as opposed to being somewhere else.
The game chargers ( I own them also) although being good products are not going to make millions for this co. overnight because there are a lot of other products. It does seem like the iphone/blackberry chargers are in production currently. Just a few days back I read that between the iphone and the blackberry there a 50 million plus members. Within the past few months I read in our local newspaper that the all the city police officers are going to get a blackberry to stay uptodate and also for better communications. We know how much the President relies on his blackberry as do majority of the senators. I have seen a lot of professionals - MD's, bankers, newscasters etc., rely on their blackberries also. My wife owns one too. Now both the iphones and the b.berries suck up battery power so much so that if one were using it moderately you can end up using all your power within a few hours. I personally have the Google android phone and it is the same story. So I ended up purchasing an external charger(Motorola-purchased on Amazon) which attaches to my phone via the USB terminal and can charge my phone completely once only before it itself has to be recharged. During this time I can use my phone but it is definitely cumbersome. I use this charger when I do not have any wall outlets nearby.
From what I have read, the lithium powered iphone/blackberry cases by AKYI can hold charge for two and a half times. So for example if your phone is charged completely overnight by your wall supply, with a fully charged AKYI case you have a total of three and a half charges!!! You can have a busy day on your smart phone and not be worried. Imagine how attractive this is going to be for professionals - this would be on a lot of peoples necessity list. If the co. can get these in the shelves of Walmarts and Bestbuys in addition to ATT, Verizon, Tmobile phone shops we can easily capture 5-10% of the 50 million market. Even if the co. makes a net profit of $10.00 per case - the returns can be huge!
I am hoping that the new COO sees more in this co. than what is outlined above as that would only indicate even more potential. I have averaged down tremendously on this stock. After the announcement of the iphone cases followed by the hiring of the new COO I feel that stock will give a substantial return compared to todays values.
[url]App Store Tops 3 Billion Downloads
Mobile apps consume a lot of power!
Why did the new COO join this Co. ?
Hi everyone. I have been an investor in this co. since the days of EWAN. Looking back 3-4 years it was foolish at the time to invest in EWAN. But the new mgmt over the past few years are a bunch of folks who seem honest, determined, very very smart and innovative to say the least. I say this just by observing how things have unfolded over the past two years.
The new COO has an impressive resume. I am sure he was earning a decent sum at his previous employment. I have no idea as to whether he was planning to leave his previous co. already or whether he jumped ship to join AKYI. In either case he must have seen something extremely promising in AKYI. He is smart enough to have seen the balance sheets which we all know are not attractive currently. He knows that this is a six man co. with him included. He knows the history of this enterprise. So not only did he see something in terms of potential products but I guess he also saw promising potential in the current mgmt. - potential enough to realize profits soon. Otherwise why would he want to risk having his decent income disrupted yearly at this stage in his career? He must have realized that benefit has to be much more than the risk to join this co. as opposed to being somewhere else.
The game chargers ( I own them also) although being good products are not going to make millions for this co. overnight because there are a lot of other products. It does seem like the iphone/blackberry chargers are in production currently. Just a few days back I read that between the iphone and the blackberry there a 50 million plus members. Within the past few months I read in our local newspaper that the all the city police officers are going to get a blackberry to stay uptodate and also for better communications. We know how much the President relies on his blackberry as do majority of the senators. I have seen a lot of professionals - MD's, bankers, newscasters etc., rely on their blackberries also. My wife owns one too. Now both the iphones and the b.berries suck up battery power so much so that if one were using it moderately you can end up using all your power within a few hours. I personally have the Google android phone and it is the same story. So I ended up purchasing an external charger(Motorola-purchased on Amazon) which attaches to my phone via the USB terminal and can charge my phone completely once only before it itself has to be recharged. During this time I can use my phone but it is definitely cumbersome. I use this charger when I do not have any wall outlets nearby.
From what I have read, the lithium powered iphone/blackberry cases by AKYI can hold charge for two and a half times. So for example if your phone is charged completely overnight by your wall supply, with a fully charged AKYI case you have a total of three and a half charges!!! You can have a busy day on your smart phone and not be worried. Imagine how attractive this is going to be for professionals - this would be on a lot of peoples necessity list. If the co. can get these in the shelves of Walmarts and Bestbuys in addition to ATT, Verizon, Tmobile phone shops we can easily capture 5-10% of the 50 million market. Even if the co. makes a net profit of $10.00 per case - the returns can be huge!
I am hoping that the new COO sees more in this co. than what is outlined above as that would only indicate even more potential. I have averaged down tremendously on this stock. After the announcement of the iphone cases followed by the hiring of the new COO I feel that stock will give a substantial return compared to todays values.
Hi Joe,
It was good talking to you a few weeks back. I am glad you are on board. Your research, diligence along with a cool temperament and foresight are of immense help to other shareholders as well.
I have a few thoughts
- The New York Times had an article "Computer spying network revealed" by John Markoff, sometime this week. This is about a spying network which has infiltrated government offices world wide. I hope you can read it and forward it to BP or GS. I have been fascinated with the concept of the teknovault and it would be interesting to know if it can prevent what has been described in the NYT article. From my little understanding of the teknovault it should. And if that is the case they can use this article to market it to govt. agencies, embassies etc., I think the US and international market for this product can be huge as not only to govt. agencies but also private firms, organizations and individuals will purchase it.
- Are they planning to sell the incharge internationally? Japan, Korea, EU, Brazil are a few places where there is a potential for good sales.
- It would be a good time for GS to give out a letter about the company. They have given out letters in the past and they have almost met all the targets they had stated. However at the time last year there were no sales and the stock was diluted so people were skeptical. Now I think that things are falling in place and a letter will carry more weight and also bring the stock price up. A few words about the CSI deal and the settop box would also help as a lot of people are curious.
Thank you.
I do not post much. But I think I do own a sufficient amount of shares to voice my opinion - Joe seems sincere and seems to know what he is doing. He can only help the company and that too at a reasonable price! As opposed to spending a ton of dollars with some IR firm. AKYI should consider him.
Hi Joe,
Does you or anyone know the answers to my 2 questions I had asked earlier -
- What is special about the new set top boxes which would make them preferable to what is currently avilable in the market and therfore resulting in more revenues?
- Where does the company stand in terms of the dongle? Are they still planning to market it?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Joe,
Thank you very much for your feedback. I have been accumulating this stock since it was EWAN! I am glad that I have held on to it. The main reason for holding on was the mgmt of the company.
I have 2 questions and I thank anyone in advance who can answer them
- Whatever happened to the accesskey vault/dongle? Is there any market for that? It seems like an unique product which would have a huge international market esp. in the government/ military/ banking sectors.
- What is unique about the new set top boxes? What differentiates them from what is already in the market?
GO AKYI.
In stock at Amazon.com-eom
Hi,
Do you follow this gem? There has not been any news. How did you get your info? I have been following this for atleast 2 years. The potential is huge here if things work out as planned.
Hello everyone. I would like to start by giving a brief introduction about myself - I am a MD who has specialized in Pain Medicine which involves performing a lot of invasive procedures using a C-Arm. I have been a "lurker" on this board since its very day of inception and would like to thank Mr. Janes and Mike Nessen for the exceptionally good job they have done at I-hub. I did post once on this board before as a quick answer to someone as it had something to do with the intraoperative use of the Dominion and as I have familiarity in the OR setting.
I have gone through all the messages on this thread multiple times to understand the Dominion and its capacity and while doing so I have also noticed that many of the milestones which Mr. Janes had been speaking about have been realized over the past few months. The applications for the Dominion seem huge and if the Dominion ends up being as good as I understand it to be, most hospitals will want to have atleast 2-3 of these to meet their demands. The way most hospitals run, it is not cost effective for the hospital or the MD to wait for hours for the use of a machine. For eg. - imagine a general hospital which offers all services in medicine like ER, OR,orthopedics, vascular, radiology, pain medicine etc., Now of course these departments would be spread out all over the hospital and possibly over many buildings. Imagine having one machine being wanted by different departments in one day. It would be extremely frustrating! Also the efficiency would be low as the time to travel from one area of the hospital to another would be almost equal if not more than the time for patient care.
Now if you include the hundreds of small procedural free standing clinics and radiology centers all over the country as possible customers then the numbers which Mr. Janes has given in the past seem conservative!
If the RSNA last year was good then the response at the RSNA this year should be tremendous as I am hoping that the luminary sites would be set up and would have produced the desired results which would be demonstrated at the show.
I have purchased a reasonable qty of shares and plan to add more at these current prices.
I would like to thank everyone for keeping this thread respectable and informative.
AnesRI
I think what your surgeon friend was asking was - whenever a xray/fluoroscopy machine is used in the OR either people have to wear a lead screen to prevent xray exposure or if you choose not to do that you have to step away approx. 6 feet to prevent exposure to radiation. Would it be the same with the Dominion?
From what I have understood so far it seems that the 3-D abilities in real time would make it worth it for MDs to wear the lead gown to prevent the xray exposure with the Dominion which acually is less than that with a Fluoro machine as per Mr.D. Janes in one of his earlier posts on the board.
DD :part 2:
Today the entire Advanced Technologies group yields only a small portion of the company's total $20 billion in annual sales, but it is among the fastest-growing segment of the business. And as Cisco looks to grow between 10 percent and 15 percent a year for the next few years, the Advanced Technologies group could help push it toward that goal. During the third fiscal quarter of 2006, the company said, revenue for Advanced Technologies grew 20 percent from the same quarter the previous year.
"Getting trends right is important," Chambers said. "We made our investments three to five years ago when it wasn't obvious to others what the trends were going to be."
New markets such as home networking and video are completely different from Cisco's traditional markets, and they highlight how Cisco's strategy has evolved. The company has moved beyond simply supplying infrastructure gear for networks, Chambers said. Now, it is developing products for businesses and consumers that are expected to drive network usage and demand.
This strategy sets Cisco apart from competitors such as Alcatel, Lucent and Nortel, which derive a lot of their business from supplying gear that simply transports traffic. For example, Nortel leads the market in optical networking equipment. Alcatel has developed a strong DSL (digital subscriber line) portfolio. And Lucent has developed a strong radio frequency portfolio for mobile operators.
Except for optical, which has been a disappointment to Cisco, the company has chosen to stay out of DSL equipment and radio frequency gear. Instead, it has concentrated on adding more intelligence and value to the network.
"I was concerned two years ago when we outlined our strategy and nobody followed us," Chambers said. "It's like when you're out in the middle of a frozen lake and you're catching the heck out of fish, and nobody comes. You have to wonder if you're missing something."
Amibitions for mobile?
While Chambers views the Alcatel-Lucent pairing as a defensive move to better compete against Cisco, he said that the Siemens-Nokia partnership could complement Cisco's portfolio. Both Siemens and Nokia provide radio frequency technology and cellular handsets to carriers, markets that Cisco has chosen not to enter.
For now, Cisco is addressing the mobile wireless network by offering software on its edge routers that provides cell phone users on 2.5G and 3G GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) networks access to the Internet or to corporate networks. But some analysts wonder if Cisco may not have its eye on bigger ambitions in the mobile wireless market.
"If you look at Cisco's history, they went into the home with Linksys and then they bought Scientific-Atlanta to get further into the cable market," said Infonetics Research's Howard. "It's not too far afield to think they might buy into mobile itself."
Still, Howard concedes that Cisco is unlikely to make a big move right now. Over the past couple of years, the company has been rumored to be in talks with Ericsson and Motorola, but Chambers said it's much more likely that his company would partner with mobile equipment makers instead of trying to buy with one of them.
"Mergers among equals have a high failure rate," Chambers said. "I don't know how to do those" kinds of acquisitions.
DD:Part 1: Cisco's prime position in IP networking
By Marguerite Reardon
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: June 22, 2006, 11:51 AM PDT
TalkBack E-mail Print
Early investment in new technologies and markets has put Cisco Systems in an enviable position as the rest of the telecommunications equipment market consolidates.
Earlier this week, wireless phone maker Nokia and telecommunications equipment maker Siemens announced plans to form a joint venture to combine the product lines they sell to phone companies. The new entity, called Nokia Siemens Networks, will have assets totaling more than $30 billion.
High ImpactWhat's new:
One of the trends that networking-gear provider Cisco Systems bet on years ago was the emergence of Internet Protocol data networks, for which the company now sells equipment. Its purchases of Linksys, Kiss Technology and Scientific-Atlanta in particular have strengthened its hand in home networking, consumer electronics and cable services.
Bottom line:
Although the telecommunications equipment market is seeing major consolidations, Cisco remains in a relatively strong position in the telecom-equipment realm because of its focus on IP networking gear.
The new partnership comes on the heels of other big moves by the companies' peers. Back in April, Alcatel and Lucent Technologies announced they planned to merge their equipment companies, creating one of the largest suppliers of wireless and wireline telephone equipment in the world. And in October 2005, Ericsson, Nokia's chief rival, bought most of Marconi of the United Kingdom.
The recent equipment-company pairings, which follow an equally tumultuous consolidation in the carrier market, has many on Wall Street and in the industry wondering who might be next. Some say Nortel Networks and Motorola are likely looking to bulk up.
But what about networking giant Cisco? A relative newcomer to the telecommunications equipment market, Cisco is arguably better positioned than any of the traditional telecom suppliers in the industry to reap big rewards in the next several years as phone companies upgrade their networks to deliver more Internet Protocol-based services, such as IPTV, according to at least one analyst.
"We are in the right spot at the right time," John Chambers, CEO of Cisco said during a press conference this week at a customer event in Las Vegas. "The industry will continue to consolidate. And if you have the right architecture it's a key competitive advantage. We look like we have made the right investments."
The IP key
Big phone companies around the world are already in the process of migrating their voice traffic onto their IP data networks. And soon many, such as AT&T, BT and Deutsche Telekom, will add video onto their IP networks, creating huge demand for IP equipment and network solutions.
Cisco dominates the IP equipment market, primarily by selling IP routers and Ethernet switches to large companies. Its hottest-selling product, the Catalyst 6500 switch, has generated $8 billion in sales in the last two years and $20 billion in the last six years.
In recent years, the company also has increased sales to phone companies as well as cable operators. In its third fiscal quarter, the company showed revenue growth in the service provider market in the upper teens compared with the same period the previous year.
"Cisco is the IP expert," said Michael Howard, a principal analyst at Infonetics Research. "And if all the service provider networks are going IP, then it is sitting in a very good spot. All the new behemoths will have to play catch-up to Cisco in IP."
Cisco's relative strength in the IP sector is no accident. Over the past five years, while other large companies, such as Nortel Networks and Lucent, have struggled with accounting scandals and slumping growth, Cisco has been busy acquiring companies, including a few key investments, that have helped it lay the groundwork for its future.
In 2003, it bought home router company Linksys as a way to enter the home networking market. It then bought a small company called Kiss Technology in July 2005 as an entry into the consumer electronics business. And in November, it made its most ambitious move to date with the acquisition of set-top box maker Scientific-Atlanta, a deal that not only put it deeper into the home entertainment market but secured its position among cable operators, according to Cisco.
Betting on trends
Cisco has also concentrated its efforts in specific new markets and on a business segment it calls Advanced Technologies, which includes digital video, digital-home technology, security, optical networking, storage area networking, wireless, hosted small business and IP telephony. Cisco deems a new technology an advanced technology when it believes the market will generate $1 billion in annual revenue within five to seven years.
CONTINUED: Venturing into new markets
DD :Comtech Wins $5 Mln In Orders From A Leading IPTV Set-Top Box Vendor In China - Quick Facts
Wednesday, June 21, 2006; Posted: 11:57 AM
(RTTNews) - Comtech Group, Inc. (COGO | charts | news | PowerRating) said Wednesday that it has secured a series of contracts valued collectively at more than $5 million from a leading IPTV set-top box vendor based in China.
The company said it would begin to deliver both products and services associated with these contracts in June with shipments continuing through the third calendar quarter of 2006.
Comtech officially entered the home entertainment market in 2005 with the first quarter of 2006 representing the first significant revenue recognized from the design of customized module solutions for IPTV set-top box vendors in China.
The contracts announced today are important as they represent the largest purchase order to date from a single customer.
DD :Amino Adds Austrian National Telco to Customer List; Telekom Austria Selects Amino for Highly Successful IPTV Roll-out
CAMBRIDGE, England --(Business Wire)-- June 22, 2006 -- Amino Communications (LSE:AMO):
Ref: EMQ1452
Amino, leading IPTV set-top box supplier, today announced that it has added yet another national Telco to its list of customers. Telekom Austria, the country's leading telecommunications operator has ordered additional supplies of the AmiNET110 to meet customer demand for its aonDigital TV service. The IPTV package was rolled out to subscribers in March 2006, following a customer-friendly soft launch in December 2005 and offers a flexible range of broadcast and video on-demand (VOD) channels to Austrian homes with DSL connectivity.
"We are pleased with the level of subscriber interest in our aonDigital TV service which has exceeded our expectations after only a few months of full deployment," commented Stefan Tweraser, VP Marketing, Telekom Austria. "Amino's technology integrated seamlessly with the other elements of the deployment and the AmiNET110's small size and attractive design meant that our subscribers could add it to their existing home entertainment networks without any difficulty."
The AmiNET110 is based on Amino's multi-award-winning series of STBs and offers high quality MPEG-2 video support and pre-tested interoperability with all major providers of middleware, content security, headend and browser technologies.
Roy Kirsopp, VP and General Manager of Amino Communications noted, "We aim to provide the most flexible customer premises technology and unrivalled technical support to ensure that our Telco partners' deployments are as smooth as possible." He continued, "Telekom Austria has found the AmiNET110 to be a reliable and attractive component of their IPTV service, which has experienced considerable consumer demand after only being available for a few months."
About Amino
Amino Communications (www.aminocom.com) supplies the AmiNET(TM) series of set-top boxes renown for their low-cost and reliability. The AmiNET range materially reduces service operators' capital expenditure, whilst offering the full range of specification required; MPEG2 and MPEG4 encoding standards, standard and high definition TV, personal video recording and home networking. The high performance coupled with the innovative design of Amino's set-top boxes, have brought the series industry accolades and the company a leading position within the IPTV market.
Approximately 700,000 AmiNET IPTV set-top boxes have been used in over 50 countries worldwide by more than 400 customers in commercial deployments and trials. The set-top boxes have also been sampled by another additional 700 customers. Amino Communications' principal customers are telecommunications, broadcast and hospitality service operators. Generally, AmiNET products are supplied with the IntAct(TM) IPTV software stack pre-loaded.
Amino Communications is a wholly owned subsidiary of Amino Technologies plc. listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM, symbol AMO. Amino is based near Cambridge, UK, and has offices in Atlanta Georgia and Hong Kong.
About Telekom Austria
Telekom Austria is Austria's leading provider of telecommunications services. It was listed on the Vienna and New York stock exchanges in November 2000. The Group has two main business areas: the wireline segment encompasses fixed line telephony, data, Internet, security and multimedia services and the wireless segment covers mobile communications. The Telekom Austria Group has international operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Liechtenstein.
DD :India to hit top IPTV slot in Asia Pacific by 2015: Kagan Research
By HETAL ADESARA
Indiantelevision.com Team
(20 June 2006 4:00 pm)
SINGAPORE: So what if IPTV is still taking baby steps in India? Come 2015 and India is going to be the third most happening market for IPTV in the Asia Pacific region in terms of the number of households that will have the service, just behind China and Japan, according to projections by Kagan Research.
What's more, the total pay-TV revenues forecast are expected to grow from $13.1 billion in 2004 in the Asia Pacific region to an estimated $38.0 billion in 2015. On the other hand, IPTV revenue share will rise from 0.7 per cent in 2004 to 12.9 per cent in 2015. With this, telcos will capture a significant portion of Asia Pacific total pay-TV revenues.
At present, IPTV has been launched or is in the trial stages in the following countries in the Asia Pacific region: China (trial), Hong Kong, India (trial), Indonesia, Japan, Korea (trial), Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore (trial), Taiwan and Thailand (trial). In the countries, where IPTV is on a trial basis, operators are either running a trial in selected markets or lobbying respective regulators to lift their grip on pay TV licensing.
Some of the key considerations when planning a 'Pay TV Service' are: 'Pay' factor - who, how much, subsidies; 'TV' factor- programs, user experience, positioning, potential revenue stream; 'Service' factor- look and feel of service and customer service.
In terms of the content strategy, some of the trends in IPTV that can be followed in Asia are:
• Start with satellite turnaround signals which already have an Asian footprint as these require little inhouse programming expertise.
• Invest in brand-name channels to build critical mass and position as a 'complementary' and not 'substitute' service to traditional PayTV.
• In-house content department and capabilities give operators the edge, e.g. self-programmed channels, marketing, licensing and legal expertise.
• Local content/ self-programming are essential for competing with traditional Pay TV operators.
• PVR/ TiVo has started in Taiwan and Australia on traditional Pay TV platform.
DD :IPTV: Expanding the content, engaging the viewer
By HETAL ADESARA
Indiantelevision.com Team
(20 June 2006 2:30 pm)
SINGAPORE: Television broadcasting is now far more challenging than conventional terrestrial cable and satellite delivery. With the influx of multiple services and delivery platforms like HD, VOD, IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), interactive and multimedia services, consumers are now exposed to a whole new world of entertainment!
"IPTV is soon going to transform the television landscape. The transformation of television is introducing new technologies in the domain and represents a true transformation in broadcast television," said JJB Associates Australia principal consultant John Bigeni at the session titled Expanding the Content, Engaging the Viewer on day two of BroadcastAsia 2006.
A word of caution that was thrown was that companies that are mulling entering into IPTV, should go beyond what is currently being offered by broadcasters. In short, IPTV should go beyond "Me Too" television. "Telecos should move from being providers of transport to being providers of experience. A message to the Telecos is clear - It is not good enough to deliver "Me Too" television," said OpenTV (Greater China) general manager Ren Xiaoyan.
Explaining what "Me Too" television was, Xiaoyan said, "Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) and Digital Music comprising services like broadcast TV on-demand, program packages, pay per view, channel favorites, parental controls, multiple service providers and T-commerce, are provided by broadcasters too. So it is not enough for IPTV service providers to just provide all of this."
Enhanced programming comprising video mosaics, different camera angle, selection, live information, program enhancements, content, promotion and lifestyle portals should be synchronised with the broadcast stream to provide a rich viewing experience. On-Demand services, on the lines of what is being offered by Comcast, comprising VOD, Push VOD, Pull VOD, PVR, NPVR, PVR To Go and Multiroom & Media Control can be offered based on the network architecture and cost.
Apart from that Quad Play experiences offering live TV, DVR and remote record, unified voicemail, Email and games will further the experience to a different level.
IPTV also allows for advanced advertising and in turn providers additional revenue streams for providers. "Addressable advertising is possible through IPTV apart from ad telescoping (provide more detailed spectrum for example provide a commercial of five minutes instead of the regular 30 seconds. One can also target the ad based on demographic," Xiaoyan said.
On the other hand, games and gaming services can be also provided over IPTV via pay per play or subscription model, in addition to communication services like email, chat and SMS.
"In order to save call center cost, many companies are now providing in-house customer care services for instant updates on programme booking and billing," Xiaoyan said.
So what's the promise of IPTV? While, it cannot be simply "Me Too" TV, the advantage it has is that digital TV has not yet fulfilled its true potential as it has been hampered by narrowband (as opposed to broadband) and no return channel. Also, it does not provide the on-demand experience and iTV (Interactive Television) never really took off. But now, IPTV can bring in better content and experience through narrowcasting, faster channel change, faster application and content download and better on-demand services.
While it all sounds hunky dory, IPTV's dirty little secret is that cable and satellite channels are already providing all of this! So how does IPTV compete? Xiaoyan provides the answers.
"Companies providing IPTV can't just focus on video. They have to run and run faster in the competitive environment. They have to work with advertisers and programmers, work out new content deals and business models and not just limit themselves to their vendors," he concludes.
DD :IPTV: Expanding the content, engaging the viewer
By HETAL ADESARA
Indiantelevision.com Team
(20 June 2006 2:30 pm)
SINGAPORE: Television broadcasting is now far more challenging than conventional terrestrial cable and satellite delivery. With the influx of multiple services and delivery platforms like HD, VOD, IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), interactive and multimedia services, consumers are now exposed to a whole new world of entertainment!
"IPTV is soon going to transform the television landscape. The transformation of television is introducing new technologies in the domain and represents a true transformation in broadcast television," said JJB Associates Australia principal consultant John Bigeni at the session titled Expanding the Content, Engaging the Viewer on day two of BroadcastAsia 2006.
A word of caution that was thrown was that companies that are mulling entering into IPTV, should go beyond what is currently being offered by broadcasters. In short, IPTV should go beyond "Me Too" television. "Telecos should move from being providers of transport to being providers of experience. A message to the Telecos is clear - It is not good enough to deliver "Me Too" television," said OpenTV (Greater China) general manager Ren Xiaoyan.
Explaining what "Me Too" television was, Xiaoyan said, "Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) and Digital Music comprising services like broadcast TV on-demand, program packages, pay per view, channel favorites, parental controls, multiple service providers and T-commerce, are provided by broadcasters too. So it is not enough for IPTV service providers to just provide all of this."
Enhanced programming comprising video mosaics, different camera angle, selection, live information, program enhancements, content, promotion and lifestyle portals should be synchronised with the broadcast stream to provide a rich viewing experience. On-Demand services, on the lines of what is being offered by Comcast, comprising VOD, Push VOD, Pull VOD, PVR, NPVR, PVR To Go and Multiroom & Media Control can be offered based on the network architecture and cost.
Apart from that Quad Play experiences offering live TV, DVR and remote record, unified voicemail, Email and games will further the experience to a different level.
IPTV also allows for advanced advertising and in turn providers additional revenue streams for providers. "Addressable advertising is possible through IPTV apart from ad telescoping (provide more detailed spectrum for example provide a commercial of five minutes instead of the regular 30 seconds. One can also target the ad based on demographic," Xiaoyan said.
On the other hand, games and gaming services can be also provided over IPTV via pay per play or subscription model, in addition to communication services like email, chat and SMS.
"In order to save call center cost, many companies are now providing in-house customer care services for instant updates on programme booking and billing," Xiaoyan said.
So what's the promise of IPTV? While, it cannot be simply "Me Too" TV, the advantage it has is that digital TV has not yet fulfilled its true potential as it has been hampered by narrowband (as opposed to broadband) and no return channel. Also, it does not provide the on-demand experience and iTV (Interactive Television) never really took off. But now, IPTV can bring in better content and experience through narrowcasting, faster channel change, faster application and content download and better on-demand services.
While it all sounds hunky dory, IPTV's dirty little secret is that cable and satellite channels are already providing all of this! So how does IPTV compete? Xiaoyan provides the answers.
"Companies providing IPTV can't just focus on video. They have to run and run faster in the competitive environment. They have to work with advertisers and programmers, work out new content deals and business models and not just limit themselves to their vendors," he concludes.
DD :AT&T, EchoStar launch Homezone Internet TV
AT&T plans to launch its new service Homezone next month with a little help from EchoStar's DISH satellite-TV service. Homezone combines DISH's satellite service with Internet-based movies and videos. Users simply download an assortment of videos and movies from the Internet via Movielink at no cost, and watch them on the television set in addition to DISH programming. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, by year's end the service should be available in approximately 80 percent of the markets where AT&T currently offers high-speed Internet service.
The partnership between AT&T and EchoStar would probably expire once AT&T's IPTV service U-verse (code-named LightSpeed currently) launches in a few years, but AT&T won't confirm that, of course, only referring to U-verse as "the primary video solution offered" where it is available. AT&T does concede the partnership is an answer to Time Warner, Comcast and other cable MSOs who have launched triple and quadruple play services. Analysts say the JV is a case of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
For more on the AT&T, EchoStar launch of Homezone:
- read this article from internetnews.com
DD:Monday, 12 June 2006
Region ready for IPTV
by Alex Ritman
Most regional service providers are ready to start deploying TV over broadband, otherwise known as IPTV, according to Gert-Jan Schenk, vice president of operations at Juniper Networks. “There are lots and lots of opportunities for telcos,” he claims, adding that the population makeup in the region could well be a driving factor. “There are plenty of foreigners here, either living here or having bought holiday homes. They may well want to watch television programmes from back home and with the time differences IPTV could have large demand.” With liberalisation, Schenk also says it is important for operators to differentiate themselves over the competition, and extra services such as IPTV, are certainly one way to do that.
However, it is not just important for an operator to deploy the infrastructure needed. “They need to sign agreements with content providers as well,” says Schenk, indicating that in order to provide the services to customers operators need to tie up contracts with the broadcasting companies and other content deliverers.
And Schenk believes that the solutions from Juniper offer IPTV delivery with assured quality. “We’re working with several partners in IPTV,” he says, listing Siemens, Ericsson, Lucent and Avaya. “We also have Microsoft as an alliance partner, and they are obviously very big in the IPTV realm. What this alliance means is that when somebody uses our combined technology they get a guaranteed quality of service.”
DD :Connecticut IPTV vs. cable battle not over
HARTFORD, Conn., June 9 (UPI) -- Connecticut cable providers pondered their next move Friday after a decision by regulators opened the door to telco-supplied Internet Protocol Television.
The state Department of Public Utility Control decided Wednesday that Internet Protocol Television is just another data stream and therefore AT&T was not bound by same franchise regulations that apply to cable operators.
The ruling contends that cable video and IPTV were different technologies and therefore not subject to the same rules.
Telecom observers saw the ruling as a major step toward direct competition between heavyweight telcos and cable operators similar to the rivalry over broadband Internet access.
The New England Cable and Telecommunications Association immediately announced it would take the dispute to state or federal court as early as next week. The Hartford Courant said Friday that state officials planned to seek a reconsideration of the ruling.
AT&T said it hoped to offer its Lightspeed television service later this year and expand it to half of Connecticut within here years.
DD :Report: EPON key enabler of IPTV market
According to a recent report from IDC, fiber access and particularly ethernet passive optical network technologies (EPON) offer the best opportunity for the access equipment market to capitalize on IPTV. Fiber access equipment is expected to grow at 17 percent a year between 2004 and 2009, by which time the market should be worth $1.9 billion. EPON is particularly crucial to the Asian IPTV market as Japanese carriers NTT, KDDI and Softbank BB are currently deploying residential EPONs in production quantities. China Telecom is also conducting an EPON trial as are several Korean telcos. ChungHwa Telecom says it is committed to EPON deployment.
For more information on the EPON market:
- read this article from Viodi View