Kasenna, a leading provider of video-on-demand (VOD) content and MPEG-4 ready IPTV applications for Triple Play services over broadband networks, today announced that Sierre-Energy SA, a power utility and communications service provider for Switzerland, has decided to expand the deployment of IPTV services of its subsidiary, Television Sierre, SA (TVSierre) with Kasenna's PortalTV application suite for IPTV. The extended rollout follows the successful completion of a phase-one implementation of IPTV, started on 1st February 2006 to 100 selected TVSierre customers, and is based on with 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, TVSierre has standardized on the full Kasenna PortalTV IPTV applications suite to offer its subscribers advanced IPTV services including Video-on-Demand (VOD), network-based Personal Video Recording (nPVR) and features such as Timeshifting, Play and Pause, etc.

"Advanced IPTV services are a key success factor for us in our business and have quickly become a critical differentiator for service providers," said 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 customizable 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 company's industry-proven MediaBase video server platform, the Kasenna LivingRoom service and application delivery platform -- an open standards-based, flexible and fully customizable middleware -- as well as an intelligent network management system. PortalTV provides an out-of-the-box deployable solution that enables service providers to offer a variety of rich on-demand and broadcast services such as broadcast TV with interactive programming guides, movies and music-on-demand services, and digital video recording services. In addition to the enhanced customer experience, the power of PortalTV is in the rich set of customization capabilities it offers, so providers can easily and quickly deliver value-added, revenue-generating services customized to meet their requirements and branded with their own look and feel.

"We are delighted that TVSierre selected Kasenna's PortalTV application suite for their state-of-the-art IPTV services", said Robert Hopkins, Managing Director Kasenna Europe. "The additional rollout to a large number of subscribers is a testimony for Kasenna's approach to deliver a best-of-class application platform for video content and service delivery, and we look forward to continuing to contribute to TVSierre's position as an innovative provider of advanced IPTV services in Switzerland."