Press Release
European Conditional Access Expert Answers U.S. Programmers’ Call for Secure Distribution of Valuable Content to Service Providers via Fiber, DVB and IP Networks
ATLANTA – October 28, 2009 – Latens, a European developer of software-based security and middleware solutions for subscription cable and IPTV services, announced today the launch of its newest conditional access product, the Secure Distribution System (SDS). Programmers and broadcasters are increasingly taking advantage of the cost and transport efficiencies that faster, high capacity terrestrial distribution networks provide over satellite, especially in the delivery of heavy, valuable HD content. Working with U.S. programmers, Latens developed the SDS to specifically address content security over the fiber backbone connecting content owner and service provider networks.
“Programmers’ recent shift away from satellite to terrestrial content delivery methods has raised new concerns over a significant security gap along the distribution chain. Up until now, securing the fiber backbone wasn’t considered necessary nor vital, so content was, and still is, being sent in the clear,” said Philip Cardy, Latens Product Marketing Director. “As traffic increases along terrestrial backbones, so do programmer calls for new, high security conditional access solutions, like Latens’ Secure Distribution System, that are multi-network compatible and designed for fiber environments.”
Latens’ software-based SDS conditional access solution is a breakthrough encryption technology that allows content providers and Pay TV network operators to securely transport content via IP or Fiber from distributor origin to the operator headend. An extension of Latens’ Pay TV content security product portfolio, the SDS enables operators to comply with increasingly stringent HD and on demand security requirements levied by programmers and broadcasters, while also shoring up potential, unrecognized holes in competitive legacy systems. Uniquely, Latens’ highly scalable, cost-effective SDS is the only software solution capable of providing secure distribution over any type of network, from traditional DVB-S to IP and Fiber.
Latens’ security technologies meet or exceed the security requirements of major content providers offering stakeholders within the content distribution chain unassailable assurance that high value assets are securely protected from the programmer contribution facility through the service provider network all the way to the residential set-top box. Additionally, the open-standards design of the SDS allows for easy integration over existing, legacy equipment while its flexibility across varying network architectures makes it an ideal solution for hybrid networks.
The Latens SDS gives content providers and operators the added benefit of Latens’ proactive product monitoring and diagnostic platform, providing a state-of-the-art interface for managing secure content distribution. The SDS does not require specially-trained network engineers to configure and monitor performance allowing it to instead be managed from a central location by existing staff. Latens designed the SDS to run on industry-standard servers so its performance scales in line with the performance of server technology, meaning content providers and Pay TV operators do not need to invest in high-end router technology.
About Latens
Latens is leading the way in standards compliant Conditional Access and Middleware software, enabling operators of broadband and broadcast Pay TV networks around the world to securely deliver next generation entertainment services to set-top boxes, PCs, mobile devices and home networks. With offices in the US, UK and India, Latens’ customer base stretches to over 100 installations in more than 20 countries. For more information about Latens please visit www.latens.com