Conax plans cardless CA for 2011

Conax plans cardless CA for 2011

By Julian Clover
Published: September 10, 2010 16.13 Europe/London


IBC 2010 – AMSTERDAM. Conax has revealed plans to introduce a cardless CA to the market in the next 12 months. The solution that will sit alongside the company’s existing card-based solution will run on the new Contego security platform launched at IBC 2010.
The technology for the software-based solution is based on work from Secustream, founded by the NTNU (Norwegian Technological University) and Conax parent Telenor. It was acquired by Conax in May 2008.

Conax managing director Berit Svensen said that while many vendors had chosen the IP market, the Norwegian company believed the business was to be found in over-the-top.

Geir Bj?rndal, EVP, products and markets, Conax added a number of existing clients had already expressed an interest. “We have 350 operators out there who are trying to balance their existing content with what is on the net and we can help them. Customers don’t like a multitude of solutions.”

However, the future is clearly not entirely cardless, Bj?rndal hinted that Conax had already been called in to replace a software-based system acquired by an unnamed operator.

The new Contego platform has already been picked up by the Dutch DTT operation Digitenne, a Conax customer since 2003, and which has already run a successful trial.

The platform’s features include advanced anti-piracy mechanisms, smart card and, significantly, cardless security options, language support, DVB, ISDB-T and OpenCable compliancy, DRM Control, secure hybrid STBs, CI Plus and CableCARD support, multi-client support, multi-room and home networking, and the support of more than 200 vendors.