Robert Guest

Robert is VP Product and Content at ACCESS Europe, with a focus on HTML5 platforms and media sharing solutions, including industry specific extensions such as HbbTV and W3C Vehicle APIs, so that ACCESS customers can deploy standards based state of the art products. He has been involved in projects with major customers in both automotive and TV and ensures a customer focused development strategy for ACCESS. His role involves working with telcos, middleware suppliers, STB OEMS, automotive tier 1s and automotive OEMS to ensure that ACCESS products deliver the features needed in these fast evolving markets.
Connected TV

Joint Intel and ACCESS Premium Video Gateway whitepaper explains how operators can secure multiscreen media sharing in the home

Posted on by Robert Guest

Multiscreen is maturing at a quick pace, with more content available on more platforms than ever before, enabling consumers to enjoy content wherever they want and however they want. However, this raises multiple questions for operators, including securing the media sharing chain and adapting the security requirements to the plethora of devices used to access and consume video.

While operators and content owners need solutions that meet the consumer demand for simplicity and universal access to content, they must also comply with the studios’ stringent security requirements. Additionally, content owners and distributors have to fight for their revenues and relevance in an increasingly competitive marketplace, all the while trying to satisfy growing consumer expectation and requirement for Quality of Service (QoS) across multiple networks.

The joint Intel and ACCESS “Premium Video Gateway Whitepaper” gives an overview of the joint Intel and ACCESS solution that enables operators to meet the content industry’s requirements for universal and secure content access. The solution aims to enable consumer devices to interact and to provide the end user with a seamless, easy-to use solution for all media content while streamlining the operator’s efforts.

To download the whitepaper, click here.

Connected TV

Towards a zero CAPEX STB multiscreen world?

Posted on by Robert Guest

In a closed environment such as the home network, an important role of the set-top-box (STBs) is to ensure that content is fully secure. However, the rise of streaming over IP and the increased number of services available to consumers means that a growing number of consumers access content over open networks like the Internet.

While operators would like to stop shipping millions of STBs to reduce costs, ensuring that security is maintained throughout the media sharing process without it is a challenge. Each device has its own Conditional Access (CA) and Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems that are seldom interoperable. In addition, consumers expect to be able to access content from any source on any platform, increasing the level of complexity for operators. In a STB free world, can operators simultaneously ensure a high quality consumer experience and the security levels required by the studios?

Increased access to content needs to go hand in hand with improved security to ensure that third parties can’t watch and stream content illegally, with operators needing to ensure that video is only shared with those that have the correct entitlements. With increased consumer demand for content availability out of home and remote access to services, we strongly believe that video consumption will become hybrid, combining the power of the cloud and local control via the home gateway. This means that STBs, gateways and smart TVs that support both a cloud and a local architecture will play a crucial role as the primary gateway in the home.

Solutions that can support both architectures enable operators to start moving toward zero CAPEX STB strategies, by allowing consumers to access content without requiring additional hardware. By providing a readily available solution to viewers who use their mobile devices, game consoles and laptops as a gateway to access content, operators can extend their reach beyond traditional PayTV. ACCESS has developed solutions based on open standards such as the DLNA® VidiPath™ that provide operators with a path to Zero Capex STB. In addition to facilitating media sharing, ACCESS offers operators the level of control they require to satisfy the studios’ stringent security requirements.

To learn more about ACCESS’ solutions, join us at IBC (11-16 September, Amsterdam RAI) on stand #14.D14. Key on stand demonstrations include:

  • ACCESS Twine™ – the multimedia management solution that enables operators to connect consumers regardless of the devices plugged into the multiscreen service, and to aggregate large amounts of data. IBC demonstrations will allow operators to understand how support for diverse Conditional Access (CA) and Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems alongside flexible UI technologies provides a robust multiscreen security solution. New at IBC are enhanced data mining functionality and remote access to personal content inside the home, in addition to the virtual multiscreen content library functionality originally showcased at CES 2015.
  • NetFront™ Browser family – demos include support for Android tablet and smartphones, major silicon vendor reference platforms and HbbTV 2.0, Freeview Play and YouTube on TV.
  • NetFront™ Living Connect – the DLNA media sharing Technology Component™ has been extended to support the DLNA VidiPath™ guidelines on the latest chipsets, allowing next-generation devices to support secure media sharing in the home.

To request a meeting with ACCESS at IBC please use the following link: http://eu.access-company.com/access-ibc-2015-meeting-request.html

Connected CarConnected TV

Connecting with the Millennial driver

Posted on by Robert Guest

The two trillion dollar automotive industry is going through a seismic shift. Alongside massive demand from emerging economies, new electric based vehicles and tougher emission regulations; the notion of Big Data and connectivity is starting to dramatically alter the way drivers and passengers interact with carmakers and service providers.

Of the 70 million passenger vehicles sold each year, Millennials accounted for 27% of new car sales in the US last year, up from 18% in 2010, making them the second largest group of new car buyers. This group, which has grown up in a connected world with ubiquitous access to the Internet, is also the most likely to make buying decisions based on connected car functionality.

Millennials and many other car users expect the car to be a hub for information sharing and intelligent application usage. This can range from collaborative satellite navigation system like Waze that allow drivers to easily share their knowledge, such as diverted routes, accidents and traffic jams to interactive entertainment systems and fault diagnostic data, useful for car maintenance and breakdown services.

In a parallel to the Internet, with its free services like Google Maps or Dropbox, many of these Millennial car owners are prepared to gain useful services in exchange for data. A recent global study released by SDL found that 89% of Millennials in the US and roughly 75% in Europe would accept brands tracking personal data provided they’ve built trust with the user. Another study conducted last year by New York based agency MRY found that Millennials value cars and smartphones for similar reasons, including accomplishing daily tasks, keeping connected with friends and family, exploring new places and shopping.

To address this increased consumer demand for personalised information and media services, car manufacturers are developing hybrid infotainment systems based on embedded functionality. These systems support both the driver and passenger device to project a vehicle-optimised version of popular apps from the smartphone to the dashboard and rear-seat screens.

These converging trends provide a great opportunity for OEMs to strengthen their relationships with those Millennials who show a willingness to share personal information to personalise the car experience. In order for OEMs to offer custom experiences to their customers, solutions that provide better driver insight such as ACCESS Twine™ will prove crucial, allowing OEMs to receive information about the driver’s habits, media consumption, devices connected to the infotainment system and combining them with real-time feedback on the car use.

This granular data on the driver and the vehicle will enable manufacturers to improve the in-car services, customise the content catalogue available to the driver and passenger, offer tailored information about the next petrol station or rest area, and even deliver targeted advertising directly to the dashboard.

With the connected car concept still relatively new, developing the skill sets and technologies to offer innovative use cases to a largely untapped market offers early access to a multi-billion dollar market.

Connected Car

Is 2015 the year when the car turns into a fully functional media platform?

Posted on by Robert Guest

This blog is part of our 2015 focus on the connected car and the role it will play in enabling connected entertainment everywhere.

Consulting firm Accenture (ACN) reports that technology ranks as the most important selling point for 39% of U.S. car buyers, almost triple the 14% who care most about horsepower and handling. This new trend has been further confirmed by OEM demonstrations at CES and Mobile World Congress, two of the biggest trade shows of the year. Visitors to both exhibitions were able to discover how car companies are hoping to digitise the automotive experience by using telematics and in-car communication to create new business models through the Internet of Things. For example, telematics can provide OEMs and customers with considerable and valuable data on assets.

The start of the year has already seen a host of innovations, demonstrating that this really is the year when cars will evolve into media platforms that will eventually drive and park themselves, allowing its passengers to work, communicate and relax as easily as they would in an office or at home. At CES, Hyundai showed how a car could be unlocked and started with the simple tap of a smart-watch, while BMW was able to park a vehicle by simply saying “go park yourself” to a smart-watch. Audi went even further, auto-piloting a vehicle more than 500 miles from Palo Alto to Las Vegas for the show.

Although autonomous driving was a real highlight at both CES and Mobile World Congress with impressive demos on display, it has a long way to go before it moves from technically feasible to commercially viable. More and more companies, such as Ford and Hyundai, are increasingly positioning themselves as mobility companies including enabling everything from car-sharing, data driven analytics, parking guidance and payment, tolling, user-based insurance services and in-car entertainment. These services, which can transform the car industry in the near future, rely on advanced data capture and analytics combined with in-car entertainment.

There was also evidence to suggest that rear-seat entertainment will prosper in 2015 with the help of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) strategies enabling tablets, smartphones, gaming devices and other portable media players to become an integral part of rear-seat entertainment. BYOD has opened up the market to the majority of consumers who want to use their smartphones or tablets in the backseat rather than pay for an expensive embedded in-car solution. It is likely that we will see OEMs leverage the BYOD trend in the coming months and use this to add value to their products.

Software solutions such as ACCESS Twine™, NetFront™ Browser NX Automotive Profile and NetFront™ Living Connect, which are tailored for in-car infotainment, automated data and analytics functionality, can enable the car industry to easily offer connected services without requiring additional R&D or investment in hardware.

Providing new services such as remote diagnostics, preventive alerts, more efficient servicing and tailored insurance, all help increase customer loyalty and satisfaction. By integrating data, car OEMs will be able to truly understand consumers as individuals: it will be interesting to see which companies best capitalise on this in 2015.

Connected CarConnected TV

How the Connected Car is Transforming In-Car Entertainment

Posted on by Robert Guest

This is the first of our Automotive focussed blogs on The Multiscreen Blog. These blogs will discuss current and upcoming trends, as the car becomes another channel for connected entertainment.

In the past, the purchase of a new car could also spell the end of the relationship between the manufacturer and the consumer if the vehicle was not going to be ‘dealer maintained’. However, the advent of connectivity in the car with the Internet of Things (IoT) and Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) developments means that OEMs can now forge a closer bond with consumers.

The connected car era has enabled the vehicle to become a fully evolved ecosystem providing a richer user experience and a host of new product offerings such as advanced diagnostics, enhanced driving safety, voice recognition, automotive apps, regularly updated car firmware and rear seat entertainment. These new features are increasingly becoming integral in the buying process both for high end and midrange cars, and enable OEMs to increase monetization opportunities over the life span of the vehicle.

The consumer desire for increased connectivity can be partly attributed to the connected car’s ability to control cost by proactively addressing performance issues. For example, new services that allow easier identification of wear and tear ensure problems are easily addressed and solved. Receiving performance related insurance could help offer a fairer tariff system based on driver performance rather than age and ultimately ensure lower rates for many road users.

However, data has a bigger role to play in transforming the automotive industry. Data and analytics enable the car to automatically communicate levels of wear and tear, providing drivers with accurate information to share with mechanics without waiting for the compulsory car inspection. Efficiently aggregated and analysed, data can also help the industry to offer tailored advertising and media strategies. For example, a tyre company could advertise for its products directly via the head unit as soon as the car informs the driver that its tyres need changing. OEMs and Tier Ones have already shown their desire to protect this data through agreements on privacy and data security principles that regulate how automakers collect, use and share information.

Connectivity in the car will enable a greater range of services to become available. For example, rear-seat entertainment has moved from an OEM controlled experience to a more personalised one that integrates connected devices such as smartphones, tablets and more. This trend forecasts increased use of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) in the car and the possible advent of ‘All seat entertainment’. An immediate consequence of Internet access everywhere and increased media consumption on every connected device has led to what is referred to as the ‘multiscreen era’ in the entertainment industry. In the multiscreen world, consumers demand a seamless experience on every device in and out of the home, and now even in their car. This creates additional challenges for OEMs and Tier Ones as they look to safeguard content on billions of different screens across the globe.

We created the first mobile web browser in the 1980s for NTT DoCoMo and we have seen the market evolve to offer more connectivity on every screen, from smartphones to game consoles and smart TVs. For us, it was only a matter of time before entertainment pervaded every aspect of our lives, including our cars.

Yet, to enable consumers to get a seamless experience everywhere, OEMs and Tier 1s need solutions that bring the latest connected entertainment experiences to the vehicle. This is why we have developed a suite of software products for the automotive industry including ACCESS Twine™, a multiscreen management platform that provides this seamless experience on any device. Furthermore, the solution can be deployed by any OEM and Tier 1 without additional developments, and caters for both embedded screen and BYOD offerings. A complete solution for the automotive sector, ACCESS Twine provides OEMs with full control over branding and the in-car experience.

We live in the age of automation in which we can talk to our phones and remotely pilot drones. It’s high time that the car industry implemented solutions that enable vehicles to become smarter in order to play a leading role in the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution that is taking off right now.

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