Israeli firm wins Indian SW deal

TEL AVIV: Orca Interactive, a unit of Israel's Emblaze Ltd., has won a contract from Atlas Interactive India to provide software used in bringing digital television to broadband customers.

Orca said in a statement that the licensing agreement will enable Atlas to deliver interactive television services to subscribers of India's largest telecom company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.

Financial details were not disclosed.

The project is scheduled to be launched with an initial 50,000 subscribers in the Delhi area by the end of 2004, Orca said.

Atlas, a unit of the privately owned telecom conglomerate Atlas Group, is expected to roll out services to 38 major Indian cities, aiming to sign more than one million subscribers within 24 months, the statement added.

The deal comes a week after Orca announced it had extended a contract with Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom Co. to bring digital television to broadband customers.