The Android 5.1 Lollipop-based ColorOS 2.1 smartphone offers 32GB of internal storage and can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card. It includes a 13MP rear camera along with an 8MP front-facing camera. It is backed by a 4100mAh non-removable battery. (Source: Techfirstpost)

The M40 STB platform also includes fast WIFI as an option, up to 802.11ac, 1 GBit/s Ethernet and USB 3.0 interface. M40 supports built-in Bluetooth 4.0 and RF for hybrid remote controls and support of home control systems via Zigbee / Thread standard. Multichannel video recording is possible via fast external USB 3.0 hard disks or via built-in hard disk of up to 2 TeraByte capacity. On the software side the M40 STB platform includes ABOX42 SmartSDK middleware and development environment. Due to ABOX42’s unique approach in software compatibility, M40 SmartSTBs can be integrated into existing operator’s environments since its software stack is compatible with all other current ABOX42 M-series STB platforms.

The SmartSDK supports an ultra-fast HTML5 browser based user interface and application environments including HbbTV. All major streaming formats for OTT, IPTV and DVB are supported. On the DRM/Software-CAS side the M40 is ready for Verimatrix VCAS, Marlin, Playready, SecureMedia and WideVine. The M40 SmartSDK is upgraded to support HEVC on both 4K and on Full-HD in all combinations and with all Streaming formats like HLS and DVB-T2. The M40 Smart STB-series is available in various configurations to support different network environments. The OTT/IPTV version is available for pure IP operators. M40 Hybrid-DVB versions are available for DVB-C, DVB-T/T2 and DVB-S/S2 networks to support all traditional Pay-TV environments in combination with Hybrid-DVB and OTT/IPTV. “The M40-series is the most powerful SmartSTB we ever built and it can be quickly integrated into existing environments.” says Matthias Greve, CEO of ABOX42. “For the first time it is possible for an operator to mix different hardware models and generations in one service offering due to the compatibility of the device, which we provide via our unique SmartSDK. So an operator can have a clear upgrade path to 4K/UHD in his exiting network, based on a fully compatible software stack.”

“We are happy that ABOX42 decided to integrate our latest high performance Ultra HD solution BCM7251S”, said Stuart Thomson, Broadcom Senior Director of Marketing, Broadband Communications Group. “As consumer interest in Ultra HD continues to grow, the BCM7251S offers a unique feature set UltraHD to power the next generation of Set Top Boxes for the operator market”.Besides the SmartSDK, the M40-series runs ABOX42 OPX TV user interface. OPX TV offers an HTML5 user interface for the essential TV services.
OPX supports both IPTV/OTT and all traditional DVB use cases like live TV, PVR (local and network), EPG, and VOD. OPX TV can be customized to the operator’s brand image and can be easily integrated into exiting middleware and back end systems.

In addition to the complete software solution on the SmartSTB, ABOX42 offers an extensive line of SaaS and cloud TV services to manage the deployment, installation and operation of the M40 in the field, like managing the software life cycle and collecting reporting data from the costumers. With the additional OPX Cloud TV services, ABOX42 offers a full range of SaaS services for a complete first screen TV solution like channel management, EPG Data, Tariff- and price models, user management and provisioning which can be quickly integrated into existing Billing, Provisioning- and CRM infrastructures of the operator. The M40 will be demonstrated on the ABOX42 booth J13 in Hall 14 during IBC. (Source: Convergence Plus Bureau)

Conax Launch & Reception: 4 pm, Sept. 11th, Stand 1.C81 at IBC
Conax customers, partners and industry friends are invited to join Conax for an IBC kick-off with info about the newest features and innovations from Conax plus a social gathering and networking, including refreshments. All Conax features are based on future-ready, highly flexible and modular Conax Contego™ unified security hub. Contego provides ultimate support for all major distribution technologies and formats including UHD/4K, seamlessly supporting smart cards, cardless, IPTV and advanced multi-DRM functionality and OTT content services from a single unified back-end.

Spotlight demonstrations during IBC will include:

• Forensic watermarking: Featuring end-to-end, 4K & UHD compliant Conax-secured forensic watermarking demonstrations - enabling operators interested in acquiring premium 4K and Ultra HD content rights to fulfil MovieLabs recommendations for Hollywood content. Further details about Conax’ secured watermarking architecture will be revealed leading up to IBC Expo
• Secure Android TV: Conax will demonstrate a secure hybrid STB based on Android TV together with partner iWedia. Conax enables Android to be a secure and real option for all types of pay-TV operators looking at their next generation platform alternatives
• Conax Contego’s multi-DRM security back-end: A complete multi-DRM backend providing support for Common Encryption and MPEG DASH, simplifying content protection of TV everywhere operations without compromising the usability for the end user
• Fast-time-to-market for secure OTT content delivery: Featuring demonstrations of the Conax GO Live™, an entry-level solution for pay-TV operators looking to provide secure streaming of live channels to iOS and Android devices, and Conax Xtend Multiscreen™ - a pre-integrated complete, advanced ecosystem for easy deployment of multiscreen services with new UI
• Next-generation IPTV: Leveraging Kudelski Group technology, the advanced IPTV approach will supersede legacy solutions available on the market today.

At IBC, Conax is featuring award nominated Conax GO Live™
- “We are extremely proud to be shortlisted for three Industry Awards: the Streaming Media Readers' Choice Awards 2015, the prestigious CSI Awards, and the IABM Design & Innovation Award”, says Tom Jahr, EVP Products at Conax.

“In all three, Conax is nominated for Conax GO Live™ - an entry level, turnkey solution for streaming live-TV to iOS and Android devices. The solution will be featured in spotlight demonstrations throughout IBC.” Pre-book a meeting at [email protected], or stop by Conax’ Stand #C1.81 for a preview of how Conax can help guide your operations into a secure, feature-rich future. (Source: Convergence Plus Bureau)

Influencer Marketing is the fastest growing channel for digital customer acquisition as per a recent publication in AdWeek. As a consequence, Indian brands are increasingly engaging social media influencers as part of their marketing mix for creating brand awareness and product launches. The rationale is that the new age consumers spend more time online and digital starts have more appeal to them than traditional stars. A feedback from social influencers is akin to what a recommendation from family members and peer groups use to do earlier. As their opinions are followed by thousands, it becomes utmost necessary for social influencers to share their opinions in a responsible and ethical way. The campaign is backed by a series of workshops with social influencers across India and a knowledge center that propagates the message in the social influencer community.

Sharing his views about the campaign, Mr. Irfan Khan, CEO, Blogmint.com said, “Blogmint being India’s leading influencer Marketing platform considers Responsible Blogging adoption program as a duty it has to fulfill to ensure content guidelines are in place much before there is a specific law for it.” Blogmint has suggested specific guidelines that an influencer needs to follow ranging from respecting copyright and tax laws to disclosing professional relationships to considering the implications of what they write. The effort will lead to cementing the trust and transparency between social stars like bloggers, vloggers and micro-bloggers and their followers. (Source: Convergence Plus Bureau)

The Tata group, currently majority owner, will retain up to 26% stake as assurance to American Tower that the acquired company will be given tower leasing contracts from telco Tata TeleservicesBSE 2.95 % on a preferential basis. American Tower will hold the rest while Srei and other private equity firms are set to exit, the people said. Sunil Kanoria, vice chairman of the Srei group, said: "Work (on the deal) has been going on." Tata Teleservices has a 54% stake in Viom and Srei owns 18.5% while the rest is held by private equity firms Macquarie SBI Infrastructure, GIC Investments, IDFC Private Equity and Funderburk Mauritius (Oman Investment Fund). The PE firms, which were brought in by Srei, need to sell their stake since their seven-year gestation period is over.

ET had earlier reported the intent of the Tata group and some of Viom's private equity shareholders to exit the company at the right price.(Source: Economic Times)

"In the next five years, we hope to double the number of subscribers and touch a base of 10 million users. When we entered the market exactly 10 years ago in September 2005, we were the fourth largest. Today, we are the second largest operator in Assam and we hope to improve our position further," Khaund said. Talking about the income, he said the company registered Rs 540 crore revenue in 2014.

"We are witnessing a steady growth in our sales revenue and it stands at Rs 60 crore every month at present. We are targetting to close the current year with a revenue of Rs 720 crore. "Our income from each subscriber is around Rs 147 per month and it is going up every year. So, we hope to clock at least Rs 1,800 crore of annual revenue in the next five years from Assam," Khaund said. (Source: Economic Times)

"Ideally we should have BTS wise QoS (Quality of Service) but I don't know feasibility of that as of now," Sharma told PTI in an interview. At present, TRAI comes out with status of service at state or telecom circle level. The regulator will come out with a position paper in this regard in a couple of weeks, Sharma said. TRAI is considering making it mandatory for telecom operators to disclose their network capacities periodically, as the regulator feels that call drop problem needs to be examined in entirety. "We are going to establish institutional mechanism which will basically on continuous basis provide a dashboard for citizen of this country to see status of QoS in a area. We will collect data from operators. It will be put on a map and show you status of QoS in your area," he said.

The Chairman said the data will not be live but it would be very latest. He added many things get disguised under the current 2 per cent benchmark for call drops. The drop rate may be 25 per cent at certain places and somewhere it will be nil, but averages hide many things. "We are doing data analytics of high granularity to bring out where problem is high and we will also come up with reason. Be it overload, lack of tower, we will come out with reason in a position paper. It will come in couple of weeks," Sharma said. (Source: Economic Times)

The government expects a revenue Rs 42,865.62 crore from communication services in FY 2016, which include proceeds from spectrum auction and other charges levied by the DoT. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman RS Sharma told PTI that the recommendations for base price of all these bands will be out soon though he did not divulge the exact timeframe.

An audit by DoT recently found out lack of investment in infrastructure along with operators putting more equipment for 4G services than for 2G or GSM as the main reasons for call drops. While coming out with a consultation paper on call drops yesterday, TRAI also said lack of investment by operators in infrastructure may be one of the reasons for call drops and the investment has not kept pace with the rise in usage. The regulator said investment made in the network infrastructure (other than radio spectrum) in wireless access service segment rose by 4.6 per cent from Rs 2,02,366 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 2,11,691 crore in 2013-14. During this period, the minutes of usage grew by 6.8 per cent. (Source: Economic Times)