IBC Q&A: Steve Christian, vice-president of marketing, Verimatrix

Verimatrix’s Steven Christian spoke to DTVE ahead of this year’s show about the main trends and likely highlights.

What has been the most significant development in pay TV technology since IBC 1010?
The FCC’s ruling allowing selectable output control for set-top boxes in the US opened up significant new revenue opportunities with higher value VOD at earlier release windows. Truly a shift from the primacy of physical media timelines to those of on demand delivery. And with new release windows comes additional new piracy challenges.

What is the biggest challenge currently facing the industry?
I would argue that it is the tendency to give services and content away for free, or for minimal ROI, just because they represent new and flashy beachheads for promotion. I also think that the industry is challenged by the many companies that are building services without sustainable business models behind them.

What trends do you expect to emerge from this year’s IBC?
I anticipate that we will see the growth of content delivery over the internet as a parallel and complementary component of pay TV services, simply using a different technology base from the other components of the service delivered using traditional managed networks. I expect that the two will look increasingly similar or highly merged as far as business models and key players are concerned.

What will you be highlighting at IBC?
A dramatic expansion of the number of types of devices and screens that support the sophisticated protection offered by Verimatrix, including support of connected TVs and tablets. Along with technology, we want to illustrate our steadily expanding footprint in the internet service delivery marketplace with worldwide operators. A special highlight for us is the integration of Verimatrix IP technology and the DVB technology we acquired earlier in the years – now very much aligned at both the commercial and technical levels.

Do you have any IBC survival tips?
Attend Verimatrix’s booth party!

Verimatrix will be exhibiting at IBC on Stand 4.B54