Industry Leaders Form Consortium to Develop End-to-End Specification for IPTV
AT&T Inc., Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC), France Telecom, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Siemens Networks, Sony, and Telecom Italia today announced the founding of the Open IPTV Forum, an industry consortium that will work to define an interoperable end-to-end specification for delivery of IPTV services.
The forum, which is fully open to participation across the communications and entertainment industries, will focus on development of open standards that could help to streamline and accelerate deployments of IPTV technologies, and help to maximize the benefits of IPTV for consumers, network operators, content providers, service providers, consumer electronics manufacturers and infrastructure providers.
While standardization bodies are already addressing specific elements of IPTV, the pan-industry Open IPTV Forum will work to aggregate today's diverse standards into a complete delivery solution, with the goal of accelerating the full standardization of IPTV-related technologies. The Open IPTV Forum plans to establish requirements and architecture specifications as well as protocol specifications later in 2007.
The evolving IPTV service has many advantages, including personalization, interactivity and on-demand access for all forms of digital content. Unique possibilities exist for integration of content and communication services offered across mobile handsets and home devices. By ensuring the interoperability between consumer equipment and services compliant to the Open IPTV Forum's specification, the end users can easily access their choice of contents and services among multiple service providers.
With this scope in mind, the Open IPTV Forum will work on the basis of suitable open-standards technologies, and will also address key technology elements such as content protection, necessary interfaces that allow IPTV services to be delivered over both managed network environment and the public Internet, and adequate measures to ensure interoperability between such services and retail consumer devices. Candidates include, but are not limited to: IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA).
Initially the Forum will consist of the founding member companies, but will be open for other companies at a later date.
Please refer to http://www.openiptvforum.org for more details.
Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.
Read more at http://www.ericsson.com/press
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Ericsson Media Relations
Phone: +46 8 719 6992
E-mail: press.relations@ericsson.com
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company in the United States and around the world, with operating subsidiaries providing services under the AT&T brand. AT&T is the recognized world leader in providing IP-based communications services to businesses and the U.S. leader in providing wireless, high speed Internet access, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising through its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding video entertainment offerings to include such next-generation television services as AT&T U-verseSM TV. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at www.att.com.
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company in the United States and around the world, with operating subsidiaries providing services under the AT&T brand. AT&T is the recognized world leader in providing IP-based communications services to businesses and the U.S. leader in providing wireless, high speed Internet access, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising through its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding video entertainment offerings to include such next-generation television services as AT&T U-verseSM TV. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at www.att.com.
© 2007 AT&T Knowledge Ventures. All rights reserved. AT&T is a registered trademark of AT&T Knowledge Ventures. Subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. provide products and services under the AT&T brand. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at www.att.com/newsroom.
Media Contact:
Jason Hillery
+1 314.982.9160
jhillery@attnews.us
About France Telecom
"France Telecom, one of the world's leading telecommunications operators, serves more than 153 million customers on five continents (220 countries or territories) as of September 30, 2006 and had consolidated sales of 49 billion euros in IFRS in 2005 (38.4 billion euros for the year-to-date at September 30, 2006). Launched in June 2005, the NExT program (New Experience in Telecommunications) will allow the Group to pursue its transformation as an integrated operator and to make France Telecom the benchmark for new telecommunications services in Europe. On June 2006, Orange thus became the Group's single brand for Internet, television and mobile in France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Spain, and Orange Business Services the brand name for the services offered to businesses worldwide. France Telecom is number two mobile operator and provider of Internet services in Europe and amongst the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.
France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris Eurolist market and on the New York Stock Exchange."
Press contact Fabienne Moiteaux +33 1 44 44 93 93
About Panasonic
Best known by its Panasonic brand name, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacturing of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the Company recorded consolidated net sales of US$76.02 billion for the year ended March 31, 2006. The Company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:MC) stock exchanges.
Munetsugu (Mike) Takeda
E-mail:Munetsugu.Takeda@eu.panasonic.com
Panasonic Europe Ltd.
Tel: +49-611-235-305
For more information on the Company and the Panasonic brand, visit the Company's website at http://panasonic.net/.
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a global leader in healthcare, lifestyle and technology, delivering products, services and solutions through the brand promise of "sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 121,700 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 27 billion in 2006, the company is a market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring systems, energy efficient lighting solutions, personal care and home appliances, as well as consumer electronics. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a global leader in healthcare, lifestyle and technology, delivering products, services and solutions through the brand promise of "sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 121,700 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 27 billion in 2006, the company is a market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring systems, energy efficient lighting solutions, personal care and home appliances, as well as consumer electronics. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter
For media contacts:
Natasha Konstantinova
Philips Consumer Electronics
Tel: + 31 20 59 776 77
E-mail: natasha.konstantinova@philips.com
Natasha Konstantinova
Philips Consumer Electronics
Tel: + 31 20 59 776 77
E-mail: natasha.konstantinova@philips.com
About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2006 parent company sales of US$63.4 billion and net income of US$8.5 billion. Employing approximately 138,000 people in 124 offices in 56 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit http://www.samsung.com/
About Siemens Networks GmbH & Co KG
Siemens Networks* engages in a dialog with its customers to create trendsetting communications solutions that help network operators and service providers achieve their business goals. Siemens Networks contributes its innovative strength, worldwide experience and unsurpassed implementation expertise in all areas of voice and data communications. As an innovation leader, Siemens Networks delivers customer value today and prepares customers for tomorrow with trendsetting solutions. Siemens Networks is a fully-owned subsidiary of Siemens AG and operates in about 100 countries.
* Siemens Networks will merge into a 50-50 joint venture with the Nokia Networks Business Group, creating a telecommunications powerhouse that will be called Nokia Siemens Networks. The new company will be a global communications leader with strong positions in key growth segments of the fixed and mobile network infrastructure and services, featuring a world-class fixed-mobile convergence capability. Nokia Siemens Networks is expected to start operations in the first quarter 2007, subject to fulfilment of the closing conditions and agreement on a number of detailed implementation steps.
More about Siemens Networks at www.siemens.com/networks
For Media:
Siemens Networks
Phone: +49 89 722 22322
E-Mail: Siemens-communications.press@siemens.com
About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading personal broadband entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $64 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/
About Telecom Italia
The Telecom Italia Group is Italy's leading ICT enterprise and a major player on the world stage: a significant force in strategic markets ranging from fixed-line and mobile telecommunications to the internet and high growth data services and broadband. At the national level, the company manages more than 25 million fixed line connections and 31.5 million mobile customers, of which 3.9 million are UMTS customers (Sept. 2006 data). Telecom Italia's international presence focuses on broadband, fixed line and mobile telephony. Mobile operations outside Italy are concentrated in Brazil, where Telecom Italia launched the country's first GSM service - an important step in the Group's primary international growth project: South America's first GSM network.
For More about www.telecomitalia.com
Contacts:
Telecom Italia
Media Relations
Corso D'Italia 41 - 00198 Rome
Ph. +39 06 3688 2610
Fax +39 06 3688 2609
Ph. +39 06 3688 2610
Fax +39 06 3688 2609