SCHAUMBURG, Il. – 25 September 2006 – Motorola,
Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today enhanced its next-generation video network platform with
the acquisition of Vertasent, LLC.
Based in Colmar, Pa, Vertasent is a privately held developer of software
applications that enables services such as content-on-demand or IPTV to share
resources and be delivered over a common infrastructure. Vertasent’s
applications manage the elements in a “switched” digital video network – a key
area of interest for cable operators. A switched video architecture can
increase available bandwidth in a cable network by dynamically transmitting
only those channels currently being watched in a given neighbourhood.
“Over the past several years, consumer demand for advanced video services, such
as Video-on-Demand and High-Definition TV (HDTV) service, has risen rapidly. In
response, pay-TV service providers are broadening the availability of many
advanced services in order to reach a wider array of home and mobile devices,”
according to Mike Paxton, a cable TV industry analyst at In-Stat, a leading
technology research firm.
“Motorola’s acquisition of Vertasent, coupled with its purchase of Broadbus
Technologies earlier this summer, now allows the company to provide pay-TV
service providers with an end-to-end, open standards hardware and software
portfolio that supports advanced video services and improves bandwidth
management,” said Paxton.
Vertasent’s Integrated Resource Management solution is based on
industry-standard interfaces and protocols. This can reduce expense for
providers by eliminating the need to add dedicated equipment for each new
service and offers the opportunity to select a best-in-class device for each
element of the video network.
Together with Motorola’s existing on-demand hardware solutions, the Vertasent
system can offer service providers three key benefits:
(1) an open platform for
expanding their program offering to potentially include millions of live and
on-demand titles;
(2) the additional flexibility to more efficiently migrate to
an all-digital network architecture; and
(3) the ability to stream video
programming to any device.
“Motorola is today delivering solutions that make seamless video – in and out
of the home – a reality. Vertasent will play a critical role in our technology
strategy, by providing the software ‘glue’ that unifies the management of
advanced services and the standards-based video components in the network,” said
Dan Moloney, President, Motorola Connected Home Solutions. “Motorola’s robust
digital video platform now gains the unparalleled flexibility to deliver
content one-to-one or one-to-many – over a common network infrastructure.”
Financial terms of the completed transaction were not disclosed. Vertasent’s
management team and employees are expected to remain based in Colmar, Pa and be
integrated into the Motorola Connected Home Solutions business.
Source: Motorola press release