AMSTERDAM -- One of the world's top 5 telcos, Telefónica, has tapped Elemental Technologies to provide file transcoding and system management for its Global Video Platform (GVP) video-on-demand (VOD) network.
Elemental, in a joint press briefing with Telefónica here Thursday, said the telco would use Elemental Server and Elemental Conductor to help accelerate file conversion for Telefónica video entertainment services, including authenticated over-the-top (OTT) content to Android, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) or Windows mobile devices and connected TVs from Samsung and LG, and simultaneously to Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Mediaroom set-top boxes.
Telefónica developed the GVP to deliver high-performance, differentiated and feature-rich TV content and services to consumers over both managed high-speed broadband networks and the public Internet.
Telefónica has deployed the GVP, which provides a range of advanced features to TV subscribers, including time-shifting capabilities and multiscreen services, in Brazil, Chile, Spain and Argentina and anticipates extending the deployment of TV services based on the GVP to a number of its other operating businesses over the next months and years.
Javier Lozano, head of video core technologies at Telefónica, said the decision to develop its VOD business came as "consumption habits changed in [Telefónica's] markets."
"We see customers wanting their video whenever and where-ever," he said. "We decided we needed to develop a new global platform."
Lozano said Telefónica would focus on growing the platform in Latin America and Europe. Telefónica has more than 315 million customers in 24 European and Latin American countries so far.
Elemental systems are used to accelerate file conversion and to assure consistent application of appropriate profiles to all Telefónica content, assuring common quality and device compatibility prior to distribution. Elemental systems transcode faster-than-real time, up to 70 hours daily of high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) video-on-demand content for delivery across the Telefónica CDN. Elemental systems are also used in pre-production as well as post and software release test environments.
Elemental is demonstrating its full suite of advanced video processing solutions at the IBC2013 Conference and exhibition September 13-17 in Hall 4, Stand 4.B75 of the Amsterdam RAI.
Show coverage: IBCLive 2013
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