Espial IPTV Debuts Latest Version of the Evo Service Platform

September 11, 2006; 05:45 AM
Espial IPTV, a leading provider of IPTV middleware and applications, unveiled the latest version of the Evo service platform during IBC 2006 in Amsterdam this week. With new features and applications, Evo offers IPTV operators the fastest UI performance in the industry combined with an incomparably cool subscriber experience that is fully skinnable and brandable. In addition, Evo continues to be the IPTV industry benchmark for openness and flexibility, adding support for a range of new standards and customization tools such as HTML 4, JavaScript 1.5, AJAX, and Flash 7.

The latest version of Evo leverages its unique data-driven architecture to deliver a very small set-top box footprint and a truly open framework for managing IPTV services with standards-based APIs for complete customization and integration. It also enhances an advanced set of IPTV applications and components such as Electronic Programming Guide (EPG), Video on Demand (VOD), Personalized Settings and Web Portal.

"Evo provides a superb user experience and an opportunity for our customers to deploy IPTV services that attract subscribers and generate revenue," said Phil Thompson, Executive Vice President, Product Management, mPhase. "We were impressed with how quickly and extensively we could modify the UI and provide applications for our customers to attract IPTV subscribers. With the latest version of Evo, we are now able to help them develop and offer new applications even more quickly."

Specific enhancements to the Evo service platform include the following new features and applications:

        -  Advanced binary-compressed EPG data handling that allows more EPG
           data on the client while using significantly less memory,
           providing lightening-fast searches and optimizing network updates
           and refresh speeds.
        -  Evo-Browser application support for the latest internet standards
           including HTML 4, JavaScript 1.5, DOM1, DOM2-Events, CSS 2.1,
           CSS-TV and DVB-HTML. Additionally, Evo-Browser introduces brand
           new support for the popular AJAX and Macromedia Flash 7 web
           standards creating a flexible and dynamic development environment
           that helps IPTV operators or third parties deliver rich and sleek
           walled-garden services and Internet-on-TV.
        -  Evo-Enchant UI- a new skinnable user interface template that
           operators can easily customize, brand and modify. This user
           interface showcases the rich and fast performance of Evo
           applications and opens a new opportunity for differentiated IPTV
           services that can increase operator revenues.
        -  Pay-Per-View, Telephony Services and Music Channel applications.

"The quality of experience in an IPTV subscriber environment is crucial to the success of any offering," said Jeff Heynen, Directing Analyst, Broadband and IPTV, Infonetics Research. "Without customization, differentiated TV applications, and an architecture built for speed and reliability, IPTV operators will not succeed. Espial provides a unique offering for IPTV deployments that require reliability, scalability, openness and an eye-catching user interface."

"Hands down, Espial's Evo offers operators the strongest quality of experience to lock in IPTV subscribers without losing any performance/cost ratio benefits," said Dilshan De Silva, Director of Product Management for IPTV middleware and applications, Espial. "Evo's data-driven architecture allows IPTV operators to offer turbo-fast performance with advanced IPTV applications, while leveraging open APIs to quickly and cost-effectively evolve their IPTV offering as needed."

At IBC, please see Evo at the mPhase booth (3.411), Tilgin stand (4.299), or in Espial's meeting room UAM1 upstairs from the central auditorium.

ABOUT ESPIAL IPTV

Espial provides IPTV middleware and applications that are fully skinnable, turbo-fast, and truly open. Espial's Evo service platform includes applications such as Electronic Program Guide, Video on Demand, Interactive Content Portals, User Settings Management and Web Browsing. The company is the recipient of the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 award for top companies in North America three years running. Espial products have been integrated with more than 100 solutions by leading vendors and operators including Siemens, Motorola, Sumitomo Electric Networks, Amino, Thomson, Philips, Tilgin, LodgeNet, OnCommand and S-Net Systems. Espial can be found on the web at www.espial.com.