John Moulding www.v-net.tv
Editor
Videonet
The anticipated acquisition of SecureMedia by Motorola (the companies announced a definitive agreement January 7) sets the scene for 2010, when the drive for multi-platform TV solutions will be a key industry theme.
SecureMedia provides all-software based content security for managed and non-managed IP video delivery, covering set-top boxes, wireless handsets, PCs, portable entertainment devices and eventually connected TVs, among other things. Its Encryptonite ONE™ solutions complement Motorola’s hardware-based conditional access heritage and combined, the new product portfolio could appeal to US cable operators looking to evolve the concept of content everywhere.
SecureMedia will become part of Motorola Home & Networks Mobility business after the deal closes (expected Q1/10) and for them, the deal is an opportunity to expand into new markets and territories worldwide.
Both companies have been talking about a new Internet era of television, a theme developed by John Burke, Senior Vice President, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility business, at CES last week. “There is a new market dynamic coming into play around mobility of content and operators’ desire to be more efficient in how they deliver content. Operators and service providers are looking to leverage IP technology.”
SecureMedia’s content security solution operates best in a two-way network although the arrival of secure processors (chips with secure storage inside them) gives the company more flexibility than previously. The company does also support non-IP set-top boxes but the vast majority of its deployments are for IP video environments.
According to Fred Ellis, COO at SecureMedia, key benefits of his company’s technology are: enabling one DRM solution for every kind of device; lightweight client code that enables playback (e.g. H.264) on low powered handheld devices; very secure encryption; and a patented key delivery system that means keys are delivered just in time for playback. “The combination of those things allows us to take content and keys to virtually any device,” he comments.
SecureMedia has demonstrated that it can replace smartcards in existing set-top boxes so potentially a service provider could introduce Encryptonite ONE as a PC solution and later migrate their set-top boxes to this security through a software upgrade. “That is a real opportunity for us,” suggests Ellis.
