Siemens Communications, Inc., announced the integration of its SURPASS Home Entertainment portfolio with Verimatrix's Content Authority System (VCAS), providing broadband operators with additional state-of-the-art controls to guard against IPTV video and content piracy. The SURPASS Home Entertainment solution also includes integrated security and management solutions provided by middleware from Myrio, a Siemens company.

"This is a significant enhancement giving broadband operators and studios the assurances they need that next-generation premium content packages, including on-demand video delivery, will be protected" said Teresa Mastrangelo, a principal analyst with The Windsor Oaks Group LLC. "The alignment of Siemens, Myrio and Verimatrix solutions assures that the best security measures possible are in place."

Verimatrix's VCAS, already part of the Siemens Home Entertainment solution deployed by KPN Royal Dutch Telecom, allows devices and systems within media delivery networks to be encrypted and authenticated through a public key infrastructure (PKI) that identifies security breaches and unauthorized network users. By embedding user-specific digital watermarks within video content, the Verimatrix solution captures complete histories of file usage and detects the individual's set-top box where piracy is occurring. VCAS can embed three types of watermarks to track usage: within the primary data center, at each edge site (or point of presence) and a third user-specific watermark on each client device. Additionally, Verimatrix's Legal Action Management System tracks pirated content, identifies hackers and helps provide operators with the ability to deter hackers, resulting in a reduced likelihood of future piracy infringements.

As part of the Siemens SURPASS Home Entertainment solution, the Myrio(R) IP Video Platform is comprised of the Myrio TotalManage product, a back-office subscriber and content-management application, and Myrio Interactive, a robust end-user application that offers additional security features. The solution helps to allow broadband service providers to gain technical approvals from studios.

Based on open architecture, the SURPASS Home Entertainment portfolio helps to ensure interoperability with all parts of the IPTV content delivery chain, allowing broadband service providers to quickly and cost-effectively deploy leading IPTV solutions. Siemens is making IPTV a reality for more than 75 U.S. regional operators as well as many more worldwide. Siemens has the most IPTV deployments in the United States, with two-thirds of its customers making Internet protocol television solutions commercially available to subscribers. Globally, Siemens IPTV contracts now cover more than 38 million broadband lines.