Espial, a leading provider of client IPTV middleware and applications is pleased to announce that Sunniwell Broadband Digital Science & Technology , a Beijing-based solution provider of digital multimedia Set-Top Boxes (STBs), has selected the Espial Escape browser to power its new STBs. The ability to offer the development of rich portal content utilizing the latest Internet standards as well as the ability to provide an engaging Internet-on-TV experience for their customers were the key factors in the decision to standardize on Espial's powerful Web browser. This licensing agreement also includes an alliance to begin supporting Espial Evo IPTV Client Applications on Sunniwell STBs starting with low-cost STBs for the global market.

Espial, a leading provider of client IPTV middleware and applications, is pleased to announce that Yuxing Software Co., Ltd, ('Yuxing') , a STB solution provider based in Beijing, China, has integrated Espial Evo into its H.264 set-top box. This is the beginning of an ongoing relationship that will also include the integration of Espial Evo on other Yuxing set top boxes as demanded by their telco customers and other broadband service providers.

Verizon said it will extend its fiber-optic network to a total of 25 of its local service areas in Virginia by the end of 2006, making more than 300,000 households capable of receiving the company's FiOS TV service. The commitment follows the adoption of cable choice legislation signed into law by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on March 10. Verizon said it will provide more details about the build out in the coming months.

With the ongoing deregulation of the European telecommunications market and the subsequent entry of alternate service providers, incumbent telecom operators are witnessing a sharp decline in revenues from traditional business streams. Technologies such as voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and broadband over cable modem are further contributing to this trend and to offset this decline as well as to reverse the downward trend in their customer base, telecom operators are beginning to focus on delivering bundled services that provide higher revenues and growth. IPTV is one such service, which while complementing the bundle, also provides telecom operators with a defence strategy against the entry of cable operators in the telephony business.

Irdeto, the proven expert in content security for digital TV, IPTV and mobile, and a subsidiary of multinational media group Naspers, announced today that it is securing SureWest Communications' High Definition TV (HDTV) over IP (Internet Protocol) services in its Fiber-to-the-Premise network.

Deutsche Telekom AG has reached agreement with Microsoft Corp. on an alliance to deliver Internet Protocol television (IPTV) services to consumers across Germany. The contract will enable Deutsche Telekom Group to deliver next-generation television, as well as complementary interactive services and a range of entertainment products over its VDSL broadband networks. Deutsche Telekom will use the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform to offer these services. Microsoft will support Deutsche Telekom with joint marketing, in addition to marketing by Deutsche Telekom, to help develop IPTV in Germany. The agreement reached with Deutsche Telekom is Microsoft's largest IPTV contract in Europe to date and its second largest worldwide.

New research sponsored by The Kelsey Group indicates that consumer local media preferences are in transition, influenced by demographic factors, including age, income and education. Kelsey Group analysts will present these findings and other new consumer research data at the firm's upcoming conference, Drilling Down on Local: Targeting the On-Demand Marketplace, March 26-28, at The Fairmont San Jose in San Jose, California.

mPhase Technologies is using this week's TelecomNEXT show (Booth 1871) as a launch pad for its IPTV in a Box offer, a pre-packaged, complete starter kit designed to help telecommunications providers jump-start the market for revenue-rich video services.

Spirent Communications, a provider of integrated performance analysis and service assurance systems for next-generation network technologies, today announced that it has integrated V-Factor) into the Spirent IPTV Quality of Experience (QoE) Test System. V-Factor, developed by QoSmetrics, is an implementation of the Moving Picture Quality Metric (MPQM) standard for network-delivered video assessment and displaces the older, primitive Media Delivery Index (MDI) approach.

Harmonic Inc. announced that, according to results published in Multimedia Research Group, Inc.'s (MRG) new "IPTV Market Leader Report," it is the undisputed leading provider of digital video encoders to top tier telcos worldwide. The high-performance DiviCom encoders power more than 2,300 standard and high definition channels for this category of operators, nearly twice the combined total of the two vendors commonly considered Harmonic's main competitors. MRG also concluded that Harmonic has very strong growth prospects around the world as a result of its deployments in major IPTV networks.

Develop successful service strategies, make valuable business contacts and share insight with industry leaders at the Nordic and Baltic’s definitive telecoms event.

Telecoms World Scandinavia, now in its second year, is taking place in Stockholm from 28th to 30th March. If you’ve not yet registered your place then you’re missing out on your best business opportunity for 2006:

• Gain expert insight from 30 board level speakers that you can transfer to your own business
• Pre-arrange valuable meetings at the event though the online CONTACT system
• Ensure that your customers stay loyal and profitable by exploring which service propositions are succeeding in this mature market
• Get the answers to your questions in truly interactive Q&A and panel discussions
• Meet new business leads and contacts in the fast and effective Speed Networking session
• Enhance your knowledge on IPTV services strategies or rolling out IP networks in a choice of two informative pre-conference workshops

The new programming will cover the event with designer, sponsor and lifestyle features along with two minute highlights of every designer's show posted just hours after they finish. The content will be available exclusively on MSN Video on demand in the US, Japan, the UK and Australia with other wireless and new media carriers to be announced later. Apple's iPod will also have a podcast of the shows available in late March.

Internet TV pioneer Brightcove announced today it has acquired Seattle-based MetaStories, expanding the rich-media publishing capabilities Brightcove will offer independent producers and media companies through its Internet TV service.

Founded in 2000, MetaStories has become a leading provider of rich-media publishing solutions, used by a wide variety of top-tier media companies including Yahoo!, MSN, USATODAY.com, Discovery Networks, National Geographic, and Scripps Networks. These companies leverage MetaStories tools to produce innovative rich-media, video, and interactive content that ranges from Kevin Sites' breakthrough Hot Zone on Yahoo! to Scripps Networks pioneering delivery of narrowcast broadband channels.

Cisco Systems announced that leading industry analyst firms IDC, Infonetics and Ovum-RHK have each estimated that over two-thirds of all products shipped in the new Carrier Ethernet routing and switching segment come from Cisco.

Wave7 Optics Inc. and Sydfyns Elforsyning (SEF), a major utility company based in Svendborg, Denmark, announced a major FTTP PON network that is currently the largest such system installed in northern Europe. The two companies announced further that 1200 residential customers have been connected to the network and are now enjoying a full suite of "triple play" voice, RF video and data services. SEF expects to have more than 5000 customers "on net" by the end of this year. Eltel Networks is managing the project as the equipment installer and integrator.