Norway's Conax Comes to America

http://www.onlinereporter.com/article.php?article_id=1223Norway's Conax Comes to America

By: The Online Reporter
Date: May 07, 2005


Norway's Conax has opened a US branch in San Diego and moved Jørgen
Bertheau there as VP of America sales. Conax supplies conditional
access technology (smart cards) for digital and IP TV services.

It recently signed a deal with Malaysia's MiTV Corporation Sdn Bhd
to deliver Conax CAstream to its digital broadcasting over Internet
Protocol (IP) operation in Malaysia. MiTV uses a combination of
Internet, transmission technologies and infrastructures for the
Malaysian market. Conax CAstream enables operators and content
providers to encrypt the streamed IP television content, distribute
the encrypted stream via open networks and selectively determine the
receivers who will be able to decrypt and view the content.

The system will also be prepared for virtual video-on-demand (VVOD),
meaning that MiTV can automatically download blocks of films to the
hard drives of set-top boxes during off-peak hours, saving broadband
capacity. Subscribers can browse a catalog of the movies currently
available on the hard disc, and select the one they want to view -
no download needed at the time of viewing.

"This daring move of MiTV is just yet another confirmation of what
we believe is going to be the future broadcasting transmission
technology. Their project will create waves and vibrations world
wide," said Raza Ansari, VP Asia, Conax AS Singapore.

Conax is owned 90% by the Norwegian telecom, IT and media company
Telenor and 10 % by Telenor Venture II ASA, a new fund of
TeleVenture, with its main areas of interest within mobile
communications broadband and new media/Internet.