Synacor (NASDAQ:SYNC) has introduced Forever Login, intended to curb pay TV password sharing. Available on the company's Cloud ID authentication platform, the new feature is designed to let operators balance subscriber access to TV Everywhere content with control over the maximum number of concurrent devices allowed and the length of time before viewers need to login again, if ever. Consumers register trusted devices as part of an operator's sign-in process, providing access to content anywhere without the need to reenter passwords.
"Operators want to give subscribers the anytime, anywhere TV Everywhere access they crave, but there are complex rights and meaningful business issues that have stood in the way," said Himesh Bhise, CEO of Synacor. "Forever Login lets TV Everywhere subscribers say goodbye to passwords, while giving operators the tools they need to tackle what analysts are calling a $10 billion password abuse problem facing the pay TV industry."
"We serve an increasingly diverse group of digital consumers who want to watch TV on their terms," said Scott Young, director of marketing at Service Electric Cablevision. "Synacor's Forever Login is the first tool that enables us to easily enforce fraud prevention rules while improving the consumer experience."
Cloud ID with Forever Login and Concurrency Monitoring is designed to:
- Address password abuse. Reduces piracy and fraud by setting an operator-determined maximum number of concurrent streams and failed login attempts, with automated enforcement and attack prevention available.
- Reduce trouble calls. Password problems are a frequent reason for service calls but can be reduced by eliminating the need to reenter them. Cloud ID's password recovery is intended to make self-care easier.
- Offer access anywhere. While Synacor's home-based authentication eliminates passwords for viewers on their operator's network, Forever Login now supports subscriber logins from anywhere.
- Empower subscribers. Subscribers can monitor all devices signed in to stream video to spot suspicious activity and remotely log a device out of a service if a device is lost or a password is stolen.
Forever Login automatically registers a user's device the first time they log into a TV Everywhere app and continues to authorize video on the device in compliance with operator policies. Rather than requiring a user to reenter credentials after a set period of time, Forever Login prompts users to "continue" to access the app or site they're using to watch pay TV.
