Canal, Sun ink pact on digital TV

PALO ALTO: Canal Plus Technologies, the digital TV technology unit of Vivendi

Universal, announced on Monday that it had concluded an accord with Sun

Microsystems Inc to use Sun technology on interactive set-top boxes for digital

TV.

The accord includes Sun licensing its Personal Java software and platforms to

Canal Plus Technologies, in return for Sun' stake in Canal Plus Technologies,

the French firm said in a statement issued here in Palo Alto. However, a Canal

Plus Technologies spokeswoman declined to say how big a stake Sun is taking.

Canal Plus Technologies, which was last year slated for flotation, has

recently brought in other investors. Consumer electronics firms Thomson

Multimedia (TMM.PA) and Sony each took around three percent at the end of

November, and Spanish pay TV firm Sogecable took a further stake of some three

percent in January. Vivendi Universal holds the remainder. The plan to float the

TV technology unit separately remains, but no date has been set, the Canal Plus

Technologies spokeswoman said.

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