Orange migrates TV subs to new Viaccess-Orca platform

Orange has begun migrating its IPTV subscriber base to a new, next-generation platform, La Nouvelle D’Orange, based on a unified service platform operated by Viaccess and its subsidiary Orca, both of which are owned by Orange.

Orange has, to-date migrated 400,000 of its IPTV customers to to Viaccess and Orca’s unified platform. Overall, Orange has over 5.1 million TV customers and this represents the largest-ever IPTV middleware migration, according to Viaccess, a process in which three different existing services over ADSL, FTTH and hybrid satellite-IP will be converged onto a single unified platform. Migration of satellite customers will follow.

Content security specialist Viaccess and its subsidiary IPTV middleware company Orca Interactive are providing a unified service platform which includes the service delivery platform, content discovery platform, conditional access system and native multiscreen solution. It is adapted for IPTV, OTT delivery and hybrid networks.

La Nouvelle TV d’Orange enables Orange to upgrade its IPTV service with a new interface and prepare the infrastructure for future over-the-top, multiscreens and unlimited content services. The new user interface incorporates VOD, catch-up TV, content discovery and recommendations, EPG, DVR services and apps.

Philippe Rozes, head of TV service platforms at Orange Group, said: “The operational difficulty of managing multiple separate service platforms (for ADSL, web and Hybrid Satellite-IP) was impairing our ability to keep pace with the market. Collapsing all those separate silos onto a single platform has given us significant operational efficiency and has freed up resources to allow us to innovate faster. The use of advanced solutions, such as [Orca’s] RiGHTv and COMPASS, helps us improve our service velocity while the tight integration with Viaccess’ IPCAS content protection solutions ensures that we are able to preserve the value of our premium content.”

Francois Moreau de Saint Martin, CEO of Viaccess and chairman of Orca, said, “With La Nouvelle TV d’Orange service, Orange has taken a big step forward and is now able to provide a more up-to-date, comprehensive service. However, the competition for pay TV subscribers in France and around the world is increasing. To maintain their position, operators such as Orange must provide a great experience for the viewers. A personalised service that meets the users on their own terms, anytime, anywhere allowing viewers to enjoy the full range of content provided, is the logical next step in order to keep them engaged and prevent churn.”