Telefonica Digital and Microsoft have signed a multiyear strategic agreement to create a new global video platform (GVP) for all video entertainment services across Telefonica’s operating businesses. Based on Microsoft technologies, including the Microsoft Mediaroom platform, the GVP will deliver TV services over both managed (IPTV) and non-managed (“over the top”) networks, at global scale, to a range of consumer devices.
The first GVP deployments are scheduled to take place in Brazil, Chile and Spain, and Telefonica plans to extend the deployment of TV services based on the GVP to a number of its other operating businesses over the next few years.
The GVP, and its use of Mediaroom, is expected to allow Telefonica to provide customers with differentiated and feature-rich TV services over both its managed high-speed broadband networks as well as OTT non-managed broadband networks. It provides a range of advanced features to TV subscribers, including time-shifting and multiscreen among others, enabling Telefonica to use its multidevice capabilities.
These services can be enjoyed by consumers on a range of devices inside and outside the home, including set-top boxes, Xbox 360, tablets and smartphones. Because the Mediaroom platform includes technologies such as Microsoft PlayReady, Internet Information Services Smooth Streaming and Microsoft Silverlight, the delivery of TV services across these various networks and to multiple screen types can all be done via one common technology infrastructure.
Earlier this month, Telefonica launched its premium IPTV service in Brazil, which follows a similar launch in Chile in October. Both services, Vivo TV Fibra in Brazil and Movistar IPTV in Chile, are the first IPTV deployments that use the new GVP platform and its capabilities. In November 2011, Telefonica and Microsoft launched the first service enabled by the GVP: Movistar Imagenio on Xbox 360. It provides subscribers with 12 linear channels focused on sports, including the Spanish First Soccer League (Liga BBVA) under Canal+ Liga Channel.
