Swiss cable operator deploys FTTH-based IPTV with Kasenna

April 25th, 2006 – Television Sierre, the Swiss cable TV and IPTV provider (and subsidiary of power utility and communications service provider Sierre-Energy SA) is expanding its IP-based video services with the help of Kasenna’s PortalTV application suite for IPTV.

The extended rollout follows the successful completion of a phase-one implementation of IPTV that started on February 1 to 100 selected TVSierre customers. This is based on Kasenna’s MediaBase video server software and the Kasenna LivingRoom middleware application – all running on commercial off-the-shelf IBM servers.

TVSierre is an established cable operator in Switzerland, serving 22,000 customers. For their new IPTV services over FTTH, the operator has standardised on the full Kasenna PortalTV IPTV applications suite to offer its subscribers advanced IPTV services including VOD, network PVR and features such as time-shifting.

“Advanced IPTV services are a key success factor for and have quickly become a critical differentiator for service providers,” says Arthur Clivaz, head of sales, marketing and finance at Sierre-Energy. “Deploying Kasenna’s open, standards-based, flexible IPTV solution will enabled TVSierre to gain significant competitive advantage by being first to offer customers the latest video entertainment services - with customisable features and much faster than some of the larger operators.

“We are excited to roll-out these services to a broader population now, providing them with a completely unique and enhanced IPTV and VOD user experience.”

Kasenna’s PortalTV IPTV applications suite consists of the MediaBase video server platform and the Kasenna LivingRoom service and application delivery platform. It also features an intelligent network management system.

Kasenna says PortalTV is an out-of-the-box solution that enables service providers to offer a variety of rich on-demand and broadcast services. These include  broadcast TV, interactive programming guides, movies and music-on-demand services, as well as digital video recording.