Viaccess-Orca, Zodiac target legacy set-tops

Sept. 7, 2019
Viaccess-Orca has partnered with Zodiac Systems to offer a joint solution to make it easier for TV operators to deploy Viaccess-Orca's cloud-hosted TVaaS and Service ...

Viaccess-Orca has partnered with Zodiac Systems to offer a joint solution to make it easier for TV operators to deploy Viaccess-Orca's cloud-hosted TVaaS and Service Delivery Platform (SDP) with existing legacy set-top boxes. The Zodiac Stack device software and Matrix cloud integration platform are designed to support both legacy and multiscreen video environments.

The jointly designed solution is intended to let any set-top - including IPTV, hybrid, cable, and OTT - be connected to Viaccess-Orca's SDP and TVaaS. The Zodiac Stack currently supports more than 150 set-top models. The solution also acts as a cloud integration platform for any existing CAS/DRM or any other BSS/OSS system.

"The combined VO and Zodiac solution simplifies back-end migrations, allowing operators to provide a blend of services across STBs, smoothly handling the transition between existing backends and the SDP, whether on-premises or cloud-hosted," said Derek Harrar, CEO at Zodiac Systems. "By enabling computational off-loading into the cloud, the solution opens up the possibility of launching new services on lower-end devices, which is an exciting opportunity for service providers."

The Zodiac Stack device software and Matrix cloud integration platform target any set-top, no matter how old. The company say set-tops over 10 years old have successfully been integrated with VO's TV platform to support search, VOD, catchup TV, NPVR, and advanced advertising models. The combined solution is designed to integrate with the target device's hardware abstraction layer and the device drivers.

"The jointly developed solution delivers an unprecedented value proposition for operators, helping them reduce churn by enhancing the user experience across the entire installed base of legacy STBs. Now, they can also easily launch attractive new services offered by VO's TV platform, including browser-based applications and popular OTT services," said Pierre-Alexandre Bidard, vice president, Marketing Security and Partnerships, at VO. "By extending the lifespan of the STBs, our solution helps operators maximize ROI and reduce support costs while providing uniform consistency across the installed base of devices."

The jointly designed solution from VO and Zodiac Systems will be demonstrated at IBC2019 in Amsterdam.