Thomson demonstrates at CeBIT the company's unparalleled IP (Internet Protocol)-based products and service platform expertise which enables content providers to realize the most powerful, feature-rich and cost-efficient distribution of video and multimedia services over high-speed networks.

The showcase of the company's enhanced video service platform offering underpins the Group's Two-Year Plan intentions to broaden its offering to its media and entertainment client base and lead in IP devices and solutions.

Thomson's technology and systems span the entire IPTV chain, from acquisition to production, and ultimately delivery and access. This product strategy targets such exciting new applications as multi-channel video bouquets, subscription-based mobile TV, digital signage, large retail networks, and close-circuit educational systems.

Video service platforms are an essential building block of any IP content delivery system. They comprise a suite of software solutions for the aggregation of content, the delivery of this content with satisfactory Quality of Service across the IP network, and subscriber management functions such as billing, service customization including parental control, subscription packages, and network storage options.

"With our IP video service delivery portfolio gaining even greater traction worldwide, and our offering covering the broad gamut of every possible IPTV delivery scenario, the world's largest telecommunications fair is the ideal forum for Thomson to demonstrate its latest line-up of solutions designed to help our media and entertainment client base realise the full promise of IPTV", says Ghislain Lescuyer, Senior Executive Vice President in charge of the Systems & Equipment Division at Thomson. "With the recent acquisitions of Thales Broadcast & Multimedia and Canopus- now integrated into our Grass Valley business - Thomson is even more strongly positioned to provide industry-leading mobile and IP content delivery solutions."

Expertise Deployed Worldwide
In order to achieve a convincing return on their infrastructure investments, launch compelling services that generate incremental revenues, and tap the true potential of new content delivery technologies, telecom and broadcast operations, as well as enterprise organizations such as government agencies, universities and major corporations all need to be able to rely on scalable, flexible and high-performance video service platforms. Thomson's enviable customer references are testimony to the industry leadership the company enjoys in the IPTV space worldwide.

IP Video Platforms for Telco Environments
Austria Telecom, the France Telecom Group, Iceland Telecom and Mauritius Telecom Group are just some in an impressive line-up of telecom operators deploying IPTV service delivery platforms from Thomson. In fact, most of the largest IPTV deployments in Europe, the Middle East and Africa based on open standard solutions, and involving some 10 countries are currently being realized using Thomson technology. Through dedicated Web portals, centralized system administration, supervision and billing functionalities, service providers can flexibly and reliably manage IP content delivery including digital rights management for both live and on-demand programming.

The IPTV solution for Mauritius Telecom Group, for example, will ultimately support more than 50,000 subscribers with 10,000 expected this year. Providing access to new, enticing and value-added IPTV services, including live TV channels from satellite and terrestrial feeds, VOD services for major Hollywood and Indian Bollywood content, and TV-based e-mail, TV-SMS, shopping, and gaming, the solution will allow Mauritius Telecom to manage the content, network resources, subscribers, terminals and all components essential for its service delivery. By leveraging the mastering of all major components of the delivery chain as well as its broad expertise in video technologies (such as H.264), Thomson has the unique ability to optimize comprehensive IP content delivery at every component and interface level to provide unparalleled system performance and quality of service.

Mobile Content Delivery Platforms
The extent of Thomson's comprehensive mobile video expertise is also unique in the industry. The company's feature-rich technologies for the delivery of live broadcasting and multimedia content to mobile devices are currently being deployed in 15 different mobile TV trials worldwide, including large-scale projects, in Europe, the US and Asia. Leading mobile video service customers include Crown Castle and Qualcomm in the US, Retevision in Spain, Starhub in Singapore and Keti and Etri, in Korea.

Based on MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) technology that provides superior quality live TV on the go, Thomson's mobile video service platform comprises a full range of mobile TV services management through to Electronic Service Guide (ESG), and a mobile TV headend system for the preparation and transmission of live TV bouquets and on-demand content to mobile receivers.

Offering a complete solution for broadcasting live content over mobile networks, Thomson is firmly establishing a leadership position in a market which merges two of the most influential technologies in the electronic age: mobility and broadcast TV.

Enterprise IPTV and Digital Signage Applications
With technological innovation allowing mobile TV and video to become a pervasive part of our lives, it is not only operators and broadcasters that are turning to these media for commercial and communications purposes. Video applications such as digital signage and corporate communications are being increasingly used by enterprises and institutions to educate employees and customers, increase sales, improve customer service and enhance the corporate brand.

Thomson's portfolio includes LAN-based solutions tailored to the specific requirements of the enterprise and institutional sectors. Affordable MPEG compression technologies for the delivery of video-on-demand (VOD), live broadcast, streaming, digital signage applications and pre-programmed playback of high-definition (HD) video content for retail environments, sports arenas, corporations, airports, campuses, museums, and theaters are an integral part of Thomson's IP video service portfolio.

US retailer Advance Auto Parts, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and France's national lottery organization 'La Française des Jeux' are examples of entities other than operators and broadcasters using Thomson IP video distribution and digital signage expertise to deliver any content, any time and any place.

In keeping with Thomson's approach to provide its media and entertainment client base with as much choice and flexibility as possible, the company's IP video service platforms are standards-based, enable content delivery to a wide variety of terminals (TV set, PC hybrid set-top boxes/DTT/IP, and mobile phones), via multiple streams (standard definition, HD, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC, VC1) and are agnostic in terms of the format of the content delivered.