DIRECTV Deploys TANDBERG Television Workflow Automation Solution

TANDBERG Television (OSE:TAT), part of the Ericsson Group, today announced that DIRECTV, the leading satellite television service provider in the U.S. with more than 16.3 million customers, has deployed the TANDBERG WatchPoint™ Workflow System to enable its new multi-platform on-demand service including set-top, Web and mobile content. A breakthrough workflow management and automation solution, WatchPoint offers service providers and programmers maximum visibility and control in creating and executing their digital media strategies. "The flexibility of WatchPoint enabled us to customize the platform to support our individual workflow process and make our DIRECTV On Demand service a reality,” said Hanno Basse, vice president of Broadcast Systems Engineering, DIRECTV, Inc. "TANDBERG Television simplified a complicated process by automating our entire on-demand workflow, so we could focus our efforts on delivering a compelling lineup of video on demand services to our customers.” DIRECTV’s new on-demand service will launch this fall and will offer customers access to thousands of titles, including movies, music and popular television shows through their DIRECTV Plus HD DVR. Given the many steps and systems involved in producing, managing and delivering multi-platform on-demand services, DIRECTV sought a comprehensive workflow automation solution that would simplify, manage and reduce costs related to this complex process. WatchPoint’s open, extensible architecture provides the flexibility to support service providers’ and programmers’ unique workflow processes by integrating with multiple in-house, third-party and other TANDBERG Television systems for content management and distribution. WatchPoint offers service providers and programmers the visibility and control to effectively process a variety of content types for delivery in the multiple formats (e.g., MPEG-4 AVC high definition and standard definition, Windows Media and Flash video) required for a multi-platform offering. "TANDBERG Television’s in-depth understanding of the complexities associated with the management and delivery of multimedia and on-demand assets uniquely positions us to provide this market with a solution that addresses the need for digital media workflow automation,” said Andrew Rowe, vice president of software product management, TANDBERG Television, Inc. "We have developed a highly scalable and flexible solution that integrates seamlessly with our customers’ existing processes and subsystems, allowing them to reduce complexity and cost and leverage their hardware and software investments while freeing them to focus on building new revenue channels and improving the quality of their service offerings.” In addition to the WatchPoint Workflow System, DIRECTV utilizes several other TANDBERG Television systems to deliver its new on-demand service, including the company’s market-leading advanced compression and Xport® Producer content production solutions. About WatchPoint Workflow System WatchPoint is a scalable workflow management system that streamlines and automates the creation, management and distribution of media assets to the growing number of end-user platforms. The solution enables operators and content providers to maximize the value of their networks and programming by delivering a compelling, cross-platform offering for today’s consumers. WatchPoint dramatically impacts multimedia operations by decreasing costs and providing greater visibility and control over end-to-end processes. A highly flexible solution, WatchPoint adapts to customers’ existing workflow processes and scales in volume and complexity to support new and expanding service offerings. Its open, extensible architecture allows WatchPoint to easily integrate with multiple internal and external systems, including in-house proprietary, third-party and other TANDBERG Television solutions. About DIRECTV DIRECTV, Inc., the nation’s leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 16.3 million customers in the United States, through exclusive content, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed cable for seven years running) and superior technologies. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 250 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming and the most comprehensive collection of sports programming available anywhere, including NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ and MLB EXTRA INNINGS®. DIRECTV (NYSE:DTV) also leads the digital television technology revolution with exclusives such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan™, US Open Interactive and YES Network Interactive and will soon have the capacity to offer over 150 channels in HD. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit directv.com. About TANDBERG Television TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, delivers the multimedia technology and expertise that is moving digital video forward. Whether it’s advanced compression systems, on-demand or interactive television, the company’s award-winning solutions are used by the world’s leading network operators, broadcasters and content owners to deliver new viewer experiences and advertising opportunities. With a broad suite of open, standards-based products, TANDBERG Television offers the highest quality digital TV solutions including IPTV, HDTV, mobile TV, video-on-demand, advertising on-demand, and interactive TV applications. For more information, please visit www.tandbergtv.com.