Fiber-optics and telecommunications systems provider Pirelli has integrated Minerva Networks' Internet-Protocol (IP) television headend with its optical networking products. Pirelli will leverage its global sales and support network, and its existing relationships with power utilities and incumbent service providers to promote the combined solution worldwide.
Consisting of the Minerva iTVManager video services management software, Minerva VNP encoders, and Minerva MediaGateway digital video broadcast (DVB)-to-IP demultiplexers, the Minerva IP Television headend is a hub for subscriber management, content aggregation, and content distribution, explain company representatives. Pirelli's EPON Widestream product family provides a simple and cost-effective system to deliver high-speed access from the service provider's central office (CO) to multiple business or residential customer sites.
"Most power utilities have an infrastructure that can be easily scaled to offer advanced telecommunication services to their subscribers," contends Mauro Bonomi, Minerva's chief operating officer. "Our partnership with Pirelli best positions Minerva to address this significant market opportunity."
Power utilities can boost their revenue by over $100 a month per subscriber by offering services such as live television, video on demand (VOD), near VOD, pay per view (PPV), personal video recording (PVR), TV-based caller ID, broadband Internet access, and telephony over a FTTx network, claim representatives from Minerva Networks. The bandwidth of a FTTx infrastructure makes it possible to offer additional services, including video conferencing and high-definition television (HDTV), as they become available.
"A reliable and scalable high bandwidth access network is fundamental for power utilities and service providers who want to deploy IP video services to their subscribers," asserts Francesco Simonelli, senior vice president of Pirelli Telecom New Businesses. "The agreement with Minerva allows Pirelli to integrate IP Television applications with our EPON solution so that carriers and service providers can significantly reduce total cost of ownership, while simultaneously adding new revenue services such as broadcast entertainment, video on demand, and pay per view."
For more information about Minerva Networks Inc. (Santa Clara, CA), visit the company's Web site at www.minervanetworks.com. Information about Pirelli SpA Group (Milan) can be found at www.pirelli.com.