Multiscreen

MultiscreenTV Everywhere

ACCESS Europe appoints Joop van Kammen to the new role of VP Global Sales TV Markets

Posted on by ACCESS Europe

We are pleased to share the great news that Joop has re-joined ACCESS to take up the new post of VP Global Sales TV Markets. He will draw on his impressive leadership and video expertise to enable further customer success by making the most of the broad ACCESS solution portfolio.

With more than 30 years of experience in sales working for many leading international organizations, Joop re-joins ACCESS, where he was previously responsible for SoC relationships and TV manufacturer customers with a focus on China and India. His most recent role was with the technology and transition firm Consyst BV, where he helped clients to excel by becoming better, faster and more efficient and cost-effective.

“It’s great to be re-joining ACCESS at this revolutionary time for TV operators with the convergence of broadcast and OTT services,” says Joop, “The combination of ACCESS’ video-centric browser solutions, smart TV App portals, media sharing and SoC pre-integration gives operators the opportunity to reduce costs and time to market, whilst expanding their customer’s viewing portfolio and brand engagement.”

Joop’s appointment comes at an exciting time for the video industry, as it continues to evolve rapidly while becoming more complex and competitive. As a result, operators must ensure they have the best technology solutions and partners to deliver their business goals and successfully navigate the challenging video and TV market, both now and into the future. Joop will be central in communicating and delivering the ACCESS vision to our customers and helping them deploy from our broad solution portfolio, from content sourcing and app stores through to video-centric device clients. Joop holds and an MBA and an MBI (Master of Business Informatics).

Discussing the appointment to this new post, Masahiro Aono, CEO, ACCESS Europe, said: “I’m pleased to welcome Joop back into the ACCESS family as VP Global Sales TV Markets to signify our commitment to the operator TV market.” says, “His extensive market experience alongside a proven business development and sales track record means we can more effectively help operators navigate today’s complex and diverging TV technology choices and make informed business decisions. Together, Joop and ACCESS will guide operators towards the right path for their business, whatever their current technology choices and future plans.”

If you’d like to get in touch with Joop his LinkedIn profile is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joop-van-kammen-mba-mbi-1bb7a0/.

MultiscreenTV Everywhere

NetRange Portal gains upgraded Globoplay App to expand content reach to all connected devices throughout Brazil

Posted on by ACCESS Europe

São Paulo, Brazil and Hamburg, Germany, 14 November, 2022 – NetRange MMH GmbH (‘NetRange’), the global provider of white-labelled, turnkey Smart TV and OTT ecosystems, today announced that the NetRange Portal now has the upgraded Globoplay App to expand its content reach throughout Brazil on Smart TV and all connected devices.

“LATAM is an incredibly important content region for NetRange. The relationship with Globoplay is a win-win for both companies. By enabling Smart TVs and connected devices to access Globoplay’s leading content, we strengthen our relationships with the leading TV manufacturers for the region, which in turn enables Globoplay to maximize its reach in Brazil,” said Michi Uemetsu, CTO, ACCESS CO., LTD. “Globoplay shares our commitment to providing viewers with exceptional content combined with a premium user experience: with the latest NetRange Portal we enable Globoplay to provide smarter and better vídeo to TVs and all connected devices throughout Brazil.”

Globoplay, the largest Brazilian streaming platform, includes content from TV Globo, the largest Brazilian and Latin American TV network and also offers channels such as Globo News, Sportv 1 Sportv 2 and Sportv 3, Universal TV, Studio Universal, SYFY and Canal Brasil and Futura. Users can also enjoy popular series including ‘Desalma’ and ‘Departure’ and follow their favourite football teams in Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A and B.

NetRange Smart TV Portals and App Stores provide the simplest route for content creators, TV manufacturers and media and entertainment distributors to ride the connected and smart TV wave. NetRange provides portal and ecosystem solutions to CE device manufacturers, infrastructure providers (satellite, cable and telecommunications), OEMs/ODMs and retailers. The NetRange service portfolio covers all necessary process stages: business model, UI design and concept, backend development and construction, integration of the portal into the hardware, and finally, live operation. As part of the NetRange aim to provide portals with the simplest route to smart and connected TV, NetRange handles integration work with operators as well as all the certification and testing procedures with Smart TV manufacturers, SoC vendors and content brands. NetRange provides continuous portal development and maintenance as well as the expansion of its worldwide content portfolio. NetRange portals and ecosystems can be run as global solutions or designed for specific countries.

About NetRange
NetRange, an ACCESS CO., LTD. company (Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section Index, 4813), is a leading pioneer of Smart TV and a global provider of white labelled, turnkey Smart TV and OTT ecosystems and app stores.

NetRange operates an integrated, full-service solution which includes UI design, payment, billing and customer management, content aggregation, backend services including global CDN, second level support and app development for more than 100 global CE, TV, STB, retailer and operator brands, including Vodafone, Grundig, Arçelik, TCL, Skyworth, Sharp, Loewe, Changhong, IKEA, MSH, Thomson HD+. Its fully featured Smart TV Appstore includes local and global premium VoD stores, linear TV channels via IP, cloud games, live sports, music and lifestyle apps. It makes media content available for TV users in over 100 countries around the world.

In addition, NetRange also leverages its content relationships and broadcast technology expertise to provide ACCESS TwineTM for Car, a connected car infotainment platform and VISNOS, a client-based Smart TV OS that significantly reduces the BOM cost for TV manufacturers through enabling a full Smart TV through devices with low-powered CPUs.

About Globoplay
Globoplay is Brazil’s largest video streaming platform, offering free and exclusive content to subscribers. The service brings together Globo original content and Brazilian independent production companies, renowned international films and series, including exclusive productions available only for online streaming. The platform also includes the full offer of Globo’s linear channels through Globoplay + Live Channels, which bring together in one single place, besides TV Globo, cable channels like Multishow, Globonews, Sportv 1, Sportv 2, Sportv 3, GNT, Viva, Gloob, Gloobinho, Off, Bis, Modo Viagem, Megapix, Universal TV, Studio Universal, SYFY, Canal Brasil and Futura. An all-in-one platform, with the most complete and varied offer of content for the public to access on any device, at any time, wherever they are.

MultiscreenTV Everywhere

Skyworth Digital Technology Broadens its RDK Content Offering through the NetRange Smart TV Portal for RDK

Posted on by ACCESS Europe

Consumers can now access local and regional VOD content in addition to leading streaming platforms on Skyworth’s RDK devices

Hamburg, Germany, October 31, 2022 – NetRange MMH GmbH (‘NetRange’), an ACCESS company and a global provider of white-labelled, turnkey Smart TV and OTT ecosystems, and Skyworth Digital Technology, today announced that the NetRange Smart TV Portal for RDK and the NetFront™ Browser BE have been selected to provide global content services through Skyworth RDK set-top boxes. RDK is a powerful open source software platform for set-top boxes and smart TVs being adopted by many of the world’s largest TV operators.

“There are a number of reasons, such as advantages in customization, that are making our customers look very seriously at switching to RDK,” said Skyworth Digital Technology. “By partnering with NetRange we ensure that our RDK powered devices have all the live and VOD video services to meet today’s consumer needs. The NetRange Smart TV Portal for RDK offers consumers access to local and regional entertainment, sports, news and kids VoD and live TV, as well as games. NetRange gives us a true a one-stop shop that enables consumers to access a world of content through Skyworth’s RDK set-top boxes.”

“Skyworth is a true leader in the supply of set-top boxes to the largest TV operators, so we’re delighted to enable viewers with RDK powered boxes to enjoy the world of content that the NetRange Smart TV Portal for RDK delivers,” said Michi Uematsu, CTO, ACCESS. “By combining the portal with the NetFront Browser BE and DRM support we have made it as easy as we can for Skyworth to provide broad content and entertainment services. I’m looking forward to working with Skyworth to meet the growing demand from operators for RDK solutions capable of delivering the consumer wow factor, as well as the customization advantages that operators love.”

NetRange Smart TV Portals and App Stores provide the simplest route for broadcasters, operators, content creators, TV and set-top box manufacturers and media and entertainment distributors to ride the connected and smart TV wave. The NetRange service portfolio covers all necessary process stages: business model, UI design and concept, backend development and construction, integration of the portal with the Content Management System (CMS) and hardware, and finally, live operation. NetRange provides continuous portal development and maintenance as well as the expansion of its worldwide content portfolio. NetRange portals and ecosystems can be run as global solutions or designed for specific countries. The NetRange Smart TV Portal for RDK has been designed to bring a world of content to the powerful and highly customisable environment that many operators value so highly.

About NetRange
NetRange, an ACCESS CO., LTD. company (Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section Index, 4813), is a leading pioneer of Smart TV and a global provider of white labelled, turnkey Smart TV and OTT ecosystems and app stores.

NetRange operates an integrated, full-service solution which includes UI design, payment, billing and customer management, content aggregation, backend services including global CDN, second level support and app development for more than 100 global CE, TV, STB, retailer and operator brands, including Vodafone, Grundig, Arçelik, TCL, Skyworth, Sharp, Loewe, Changhong, IKEA, MSH, Thomson HD+. Its fully featured Smart TV Appstore includes local and global premium VoD stores, linear TV channels via IP, cloud games, live sports, music and lifestyle apps. It makes media content available for TV users in over 100 countries around the world.

In addition, NetRange also leverages its content relationships and broadcast technology expertise to provide ACCESS Twine™ for Car, a connected car infotainment platform and VISNOS, a client-based Smart TV OS that significantly reduces the BOM cost for TV manufacturers through enabling a full Smart TV through devices with low-powered CPUs.

About Shenzhen Skyworth Digital Technology Company Limited
Shenzhen Skyworth Digital Technology Co. Ltd. is the world’s leading provider of connected home products and solutions. Shenzhen Skyworth Digital Technology Company Limited is continually evolving product and service offerings to satisfy the ever-changing content consumption habits of a global customer base, by providing innovations in networking, digitalization, and solutions for the connected home. Today, Shenzhen Skyworth Digital Technology Company Limited is the world’s largest set-top box manufacturer and as well as one of the fastest growing manufacturers of broadband CPE and IoT products and solutions.

Multiscreen

Should Auto OEMs develop their own car OS or back a solution from Apple or Google?

Posted on by Doron Shorr

Reading the Washington Post article, ‘The Next Big Battle Between Google an Apple is for the Soul of Your Car’ by Christopher Mims (http://bitly.ws/v4ea), set me wondering why Automotive OEMs would choose a car OS from Apple or Google over developing their own? Sure, it’s easier to choose Apple or Google, but what are the possible consequences to the OEMS?

My top five reasons for OEMs developing their own car OS are:

  1. As software is an increasingly important player in delivering the car driver and passenger experiences, it’s critical that the OEMs can differentiate through designing and developing these experiences. After all they know their customers better than anyone else.
  2. If you’re Ford, Toyota, Mercedes Benz or VW, you want your vehicles to be known by your brand, so customers align with you and not Apple or Google cars
  3. What if the third-party 3 years down the road finds the Metaverse more interesting than the car space and slows its pace of in-car development?
  4. Apple, Google, and even Amazon, will be future competitors thanks to their investments in ride-sharing companies. Is choosing a car OS developed by a competitor a wise decision?
  5. For the future it’s critical that OEMs keep control of in-car data – something that’s only going to get harder if you choose a car OS from a third-party who’s very foundation is based upon deriving revenues from consumer data.

Now, given that I work at ACCESS, a supplier of in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, it’s clearly not in my best interests that OEMs choose a car OS that includes entertainment services. However, I would add that for years the automotive industry has built cars through utilising a network of interconnected suppliers that all have the best interests of the OEM and the car industry in general at heart. Companies like ACCESS, Harman, Bosch, Visteon, Tata, Denso and an ecosystem of many more all benefit when the OEMs succeed, driving further development and innovation. My concern for the OEMs is that, if they sign Faustian car OS pacts with incredibly powerful companies whose aims are not aligned with their own, then the future automotive cockpit experience may well be a restrictive and frustrating one for car owners, with little differentiation between OEMs!

Multiscreen

Konka selects NetRange to power HbbTV on its Android-based Smart TVs

Posted on by ACCESS Europe

Hamburg, Germany, Aug 30, 2022 – NetRange MMH GmbH (‘NetRange’), an ACCESS company and a global provider of white-labelled, turnkey Smart TV and OTT ecosystems, today announced that it has been selected by Konka to power HbbTV on its Android -based smart TVs. NetRange will provide the ACCESS NetFront™ Browser BE HbbTV for Android solution to enable Konka to support the growing numbers of operators in the MENA region that have chosen to launch interactive and smart TV services via HbbTV.

NetRange and ACCESS have carried out a bespoke engineering project to enure that the NetFront™ Browser BE HbbTV for Android solution is fully integrated with Konka’s choice of SoC vendor.

ACCESS, the parent company of NetRange, has supported HbbTV with browser solutions from the earliest days of the interactive TV standard and provides TV OEMs with the highest level of HbbTV standards conformance. As the key module in a complete HbbTV package, the NetFront Browser solution presents HbbTV applications to the consumer and provides OEMs with a choice of Chromium or WebKit HTML5 engines. Additionally, ACCESS and Netrange provide support for regional or country specific standards, such as Freeview Play 2017 in the UK.

“The cost-effective ACCESS HbbTV solution enables Konka to minimize the additional cost of supporting HbbTV on its Android-based smart TVs,” said Michi Uematsu, CTO, ACCESS. “This partnership is further proof of our flexible approach that offers OEMs a choice of an end-to-end ACCESS and NetRange solution of browser and App Store combination or to choose the individual software components they need. We look forward to enabling Konka to cost-effectively manufacture TVs that support customer requirements throughout the MENA region.

About NetRange
NetRange, an ACCESS CO., LTD. company (Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section Index, 4813), is a leading pioneer of Smart TV and a global provider of white labelled, turnkey Smart TV and OTT ecosystems and app stores.

NetRange operates an integrated, full-service solution which includes UI design, payment, billing and customer management, content aggregation, backend services including global CDN, second level support and app development for more than 100 global CE, TV, STB, retailer and operator brands, including Vodafone, Grundig, Arçelik, TCL, Skyworth, Sharp, Loewe, Changhong, IKEA, MSH, Thomson HD+. Its fully featured Smart TV Appstore includes local and global premium VoD stores, linear TV channels via IP, cloud games, live sports, music and lifestyle apps. It makes media content available for TV users in over 100 countries around the world.

In addition, NetRange also leverages its content relationships and broadcast technology expertise to provide OS.CAR, a connected car infotainment platform and VISNOS, a client-based Smart TV OS that significantly reduces the BOM cost for TV manufacturers through enabling a full Smart TV through devices with low-powered CPUs.

About Konka
KONKA Group Co., Ltd. founded on May 21st, 1980, was the first sino-foreign joint venture electronic manufacturer upon China’s reform and opening. As a large consumer electronics manufacturer with over forty years of industrial existence, KONKA has now started its strategic transformation to become a complex that also functions as an industrial strategic innovator, an industrial real estate developer, an Internet and supply chain service provider. With this strategic transformation undergoing, KONKA now has developed four large business groups including the consumer electronics, the industrial park, as well as the PaaS (platform as a service) & financial investment.

KONKA is increasing its strategic investments in several key core technologies such as Micro LED, 8K, AIoT and 5G to ensure its future leadership in the ever-changing global consumer electronics industry.

Based on the TV business and driven by technological innovation, KONKA will build overseas AIOT home ecological chain in thethree circles of smart TV, smart home, and consumer goods.

Copyright © 2022 ACCESS Europe GmbH