Ericsson provides the Japanese operator J:Com with next-generation television

It will deploy the industry standard Reference Design Kit (RDK) on Jupiter Telecommunications hybrid cable boxes to drive seamless TV experiences on both managed and unmanaged networks.

Ericsson has been selected by Jupiter Telecommunications (J:Com) to manage its next-generation TV service. Japan's largest cable operator has chosen Ericsson's MediaFirst TV platform to deliver an enhanced and personalized multi-screen TV experience to its 3.7 million subscribers. The basic design basis will begin in the fourth quarter of 2017 and the companies will strengthen the subsequent development agreement.

The platform will offer J:Com subscribers new features, including personalized and continuous experience on all screens and the ability to watch live TV, as well as access to on-demand content on all devices. Ericsson will also deploy the industry standard RDK on J:Com set-top boxes and a conditional access system to enable the distribution of Ultra HD content. In addition, it will provide new monetization opportunities such as effective content recommendation services, benefiting from Ericsson's advanced data analytics.

Hirohiko Imura, president of J:Com, states that "consumers now have more options to choose from than ever, which is why it is necessary to offer competitive solutions in an increasingly saturated television landscape. We believe that a continuous and personalized TV Everywhere service will allow J:Com to offer distinctive value. By deploying Ericsson's MediaFirst TV platform, we will have access to a series of exclusive, intelligent and high-performance solutions, which will help us transform our television offering and reinforce our leadership in innovation."

Ángel Ruiz, Director of Media Solutions at Ericsson, adds that "Ericsson's MediaFirst TV platform will allow J:Com to promote a next-generation TV experience available uninterruptedly across all screens, both inside and outside the home, and tailored to the needs of each individual subscriber. By leveraging the advantages of virtualization and cloud technologies, we can help J:Com grow its subscriber base and implement new, more flexible business models. This is the first step in a collaboration to long term and we hope to increase our agreement with J:Com in the coming years.”

Ericsson MediaFirst TV Platform is a cloud-based, software-defined and media-optimized platform. The MediaFirst TV platform offers a converged multi-screen experience including Pay TV in the home, TV Everywhere and OTT services. It supports all content sources and distribution networks and is integrated into the RDK standard, allowing operators to leverage the common core RDK software, while maintaining the ability to provide a differentiated TV experience to the customer.

The platform includes advanced analytics tools, allowing operators to offer relevant content and promotions to viewers, increasing revenue opportunities and reducing customer churn. Following Ericsson's DevOps philosophy, the MediaFirst TV platform offers flexibility, scalability and agility to adapt to the constantly evolving behaviors and needs of consumers.