The Seven Hot Men of IBC 2009

Another IBC, another Hot Men of IBC. Ok, we know that Telco stuff can get a bit dry, that is why we always do this list year after year. And you know, it’s oddly not the ladies that ask for it, it’s all those guys out there that wonder if they will make the list this year. So, for 2009, we present the ultimate list for Telco and IPTV and the seven men that made the days go by a little easier…. And remember, there is no ranking, it’s just in alphabetical order so there is no fighting.

Marcus Bristav, Dreampark — Many of the Dreampark Dream team has made the list    but this year, we walked into a conference room and there he was. Sitting there, just smiling at us. A Chief Architect by trade with charming and witty banter at every turn. The blue eyes, the trendy yet oddly attractive mostly shaved beard and his ability to give everyone a hard time with a smile on his face won us over.

Lucien Burm, FdForward. Ok, he technically isn’t in the IPTV business but he was at the show and how can you ignore those eyes?  Plus, he is an old school gentleman… offering you his jacket, getting you a glass of wine (at an after party and generally just being smart and a fantastic dresser. We added Lucien because he is always one of the good guys, oh and did we mention those eyes?

Adrien Clidiere, consultant, interactive video applications, mobile & IPTV – We first met Adrien last year at IBC at the Envivio stand where he was entertaining us with great stories about back end technology but in a good way. Then he divulged that he was French, Breton actually which made us really perk up. He can talk to you about anything from philosophy to code to comedy to world politics. He’s the sexiest engineer we have ever encountered.

Kevin Conner, Axicom - He first made our list at his very first show at the IPTV World Forum and again last year at IBC 2008 and this year he continues his winning streak. He showed up at our IBC Drink party and we no longer has the power of speech. On the last day of the show, he came rushing in past us, stopped to say hello, gave us a peck on the cheek  — all in a white t-shirt and Armani dress pants running for his jacket. We liked that.  Here’s to the hottest PR guy in the universe. Oh and we might add that he is sings in a band, Witness to the Beard.

Ignacious Garcia-Legaz, CEO, Free2B.com - Ignacious channeled Javier Bardem right from the start. He showed up at ink’s IBC Drink Mixer with some friends from Concurrent and that was it — we were pouring sangria for him every 25 seconds. That accent, that suit, that smile and those stories of warm and sunny places had us giggling like school girls.

Justin Lebbon, Videonet – You know that guy that dresses in jeans and a tshirt plus a hoodie with Chucks that you think is really alluringly cute? And then the next time you see him he’s in a Zegna with a martini in his hand? Yea well, that is Justin. The hair, the eyes, the smile, the hilarious conversation are just part of the equation. His ability to completely transform from the skateboard dude to Zegna model is enough for us. Check please.

Jonah from Ericsson – We don’t even know his last name. He blew out of our life as fast as he came into it. But know this — He had Daniel Craig dashing good looks, drives a Porsche (we didn’t see it but we believe him) was charming, funny, engaging with a barbed wit and impeccably dressed with a pair of “I can’t take my eyes off his shoes” shoes. Should we say anymore?

The Shoes

Tags: Axicom, Dreampark, Envivio, Ericsson, fdforward, Free2B, IBC

She blinded me with science

Dolby will be at IBC this year, Hall 2, Booth B.28 and they will be showing off all sorts of new things in the home entertainment arena, from audio for HD broadcast to online content delivery, from professional audio production tools to play-out and transmission technologies. You probably don’t think about Dolby much unless you are watching something in “Dolby” or listening to Thomas Dolby’s 1982 classic She blinded me with science, but Dolby is all about the best entertainment experience possible. So, if you are interested in the advances in Dolby, go check em out. Maybe they will play that  song.  – JLH

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Tags: DolbyLaboratories, IBC 09

Verimatrix focuses on revenue security at IBC09

Operators want to keep viewers at the TV. They don’t want them wandering off back to the Web and messing around with this free for all content that you can get anytime anywhere. So this means companies like Verimatrix have got to give the operators a tool to protect content and yet get as much of that content out to consumers and keep them right in front of the TV where they belong.

According to Yoav Schreiber, senior analyst, Digital Media Infrastructure at Current Analysis, the consumer appetite for content anytime and anywhere is evident in the growth of online and mobile video consumption, which is supplementing traditional TV viewership. And to respond to evolving consumer viewing behavior, operators and content owners need the flexibility to introduce and deliver protected premium video applications and services across both managed and unmanaged networks.

This is where Verimatrix comes in. They have evolved security architecture to meet these emerging demands which in the end lets operators increase revenue streams and retain subscribers. That’s a happy ecosystem.

At IBC, Hall 5 Stand #B45. Verimatrix is showing off its  Video Content Authority System (VCAS™) 3.0 core architecture. Essentially, VCAS 3.0 enables pay-TV operators to offer a more extensive set of service offerings, helping operators attract and retain subscribers who want information and entertainment options in the living room and beyond. — JLH

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Tags: Digital rights management, Pay television

For back-end technology, this is pretty much all out

NDS has gotten everyone all worked up. Usually it’s because of their IBC party which you have to sign your life away to get an invite, but this year it’s because of this science fiction, big brother like video (hit play) that has been circulating. They say they will tell us tomorrow, 9 September, but we have to wonder, what could it possible be that they would put so much into this promotional campaign, and remember they are not a consumer  based technology, they are completely back end. We all know that NDS is a powerhouse of technology and deep down I admit it’s nice to see the lavish spending of yesteryear on fun campaigns like this, but I doubt that it will be anything earth shattering, but more of a cross over to web 2.0 and the innovative technologies we are seeing on that side of the tech fence. Stay tuned! – JLH

Tags: NDS Group

OpenTV’s Tracy Geist talks about the gap between TV and Web

As we get closer to IBC 2009 on Friday, we are seeing telling signs that traditional and legacy IPTV companies that paved the way nearly a decade ago for IPTV, are at it again. We are beginning to see technology from companies like OpenTV, ActiveVideo Networks and NDS that speak  Web 2.0 infuse their technology with social media elements, interactive and user generated content, widgets, etc. This means operators are now (or still) looking for ways to keep consumers at their TVs and we will see more and more deployments with these social media elements.

Tracy Geist, senior VP, Biz Dev, talks about the closing the gap between TV and the Web.

She says that it’s a dynamic market for digital TV operators right now who need to introduce new services while keeping the service on and smoothly running. The growing competition, new content platforms embraced by viewers, and technological advancements, all drive the introduction of new services, which transform traditional TV viewing into an interactive social experience. These new services focus on creating a whole experience for viewers, such as enabling them to browse through video titles and pick content based on suggestions, recommendations, key-words or related topics across multiple resources.

Geist says that our entertainment at home is no longer ‘one way’. We have all gotten used to searching and sharing content with family and friends through the Web. Users today are looking for the same experience when they retrieve content via the TV at home.

“If I just finished watching Nigella Lawson’s program, I want to be able to let my friends know in real time that Nigella is making the best Chocolate Mousse tonight through messaging or recommending the program or even get the recipe to make it myself,” said Geist.  ”This is just one example of what next generation TV should easily enable as it becomes an extension to the lives of those who watch it.”

According to Geist, operators already have the infrastructure to allow access to resources that would enable this functionality. What is needed on top of this infrastructure is the next gen digital TV platform that would enable those advanced services and bridge the gap between TV and the Internet, providing a unified and seamless viewing experience to the user, while allowing operators to cost-effectively differentiate their offering and remain ahead of the game.

For a full view of Tracy’s thoughts and other news on IPTV, visit Videonet.

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Tags: IBC, Interactive, IPTV, OpenTV, Tracy Geist