EchoStar Corp. (Nasdaq: SATS), justifiably and forever linked to the Dish Network (Nasdaq: DISH) satellite service, has repurposed its technology with what it calls a new "technology ecosystem" aimed at midsized and independent cable TV operators. It will introduce the system, called Aria, at The Cable Show in Chicago next week, along with the set-top boxes needed to make it happen for end users.
Aria's prime selling points are a cloud-based VoD capability to drive TV Everywhere and an interactive HD program guide. The service will be fed directly to cable headends "without the need to invest in new facilities, servers, data centers and additional engineering staff," a news release quoted Mark Jackson, president of the company's EchoStar Technologies business unit.
EchoStar offers a similar service to its Dish Network sister company, but this marks its first concerted effort to sell to cable operators who fall outside the realm of the biggest MSOs but still want to offer competitive features.
"Innovative products are being introduced every day, but the technology to use them is designed for the nation's largest providers. Aria is engineered to perform on existing networks without a painful integration period," Jackson said.
For more:
- see this news release
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