Orca launches combined IPTV, WebTV Solution

RA'ANANA, ISRAEL: Orca Interactive Ltd, provider of IPTV middleware and applications, has announced its combined IPTV and WebTV solution. The company will be delivering its WebTV technology to Blockbuster Israel, enabling the content provider to deliver advanced digital content services to its subscribers.

The combined IPTV and WebTV solution supports both managed and unmanaged environments, eliminating boundaries to help service providers expand their customer base and market reach.

IPTV service providers will also be able to broaden offerings to existing subscribers with anytime, anywhere TV services for on-the-go digital content over mobile PCs. In addition, content offerings can be extended beyond IPTV to enable WebTV, diverse multimedia, niche content and user generated content (UGC).

Orca’s new WebTV offering, founded on the company’s extensive IPTV expertise, includes progressive download and push VOD capabilities over PCs and STBs, in addition to other services such as PVR, home media and high definition television based on VOD push.

The combined IPTV and WebTV platform supports the new WebTV capabilities alongside IPTV services such as video-on-demand and live television. The WebTV-powered RiGHTv middleware platform continues to provide connectivity to OSS/BSS systems, enabling service providers to efficiently operate both services.

Using Orca’s new combined solution, Blockbuster Israel will launch a new Internet service for progressive download of up-to-date digital content over PCs by the end of the year. In early 2008, Blockbuster Israel plans to provide an IPTV-ready STB to enable TV connectivity from the PC and advanced services such as Push VOD and HDTV, followed by a complete digital TV offering.

“This announcement marks a new era for Blockbuster Israel, driving us to the forefront of next-generation video services and demonstrating our market leadership. Breaking new ground with a cutting-edge Web service, we can now deliver the latest movies and television series directly to subscribers’ homes through an advanced digital platform,” commented Ofer Lowy, Chairman of Blockbuster Israel.

“Orca’s unique solution powers high quality interactive TV and digital content services, so that our subscribers can benefit from a triple bundle of local branches and vending machines, Web content and a full IPTV package in the future.”

“We are thrilled to launch our revolutionary WebTV offering, while enabling Blockbuster Israel to deliver advanced digital content services,” said Haggai Barel, CEO of Orca Interactive. “WebTV can help IPTV players today protect their market share and maintain a competitive edge.

As the first to market with this unique combined IPTV and WebTV solution, Orca is yet again pioneering the future of IPTV – this time leading the market towards total convergence of managed and unmanaged services for top-notch home entertainment.”