iWorld
Jadoo Digital uses Vermatrix system to launch Hybrid Video Services in Bangladesh
MUMBAI: Digi Jadoo Broadband Ltd which is a pay TV distributors in Bangladesh, has implemented the Verimatrix Content Authority System for DVB Hybrid to secure content for its new Jadoo Digital service.
With this, Jadoo Digital becomes the first to launch high-definition (HD), premium TV services via a hybrid DVB-C and over-the-top (OTT) network in the Bangladesh market. Jadoo Digital is the consumer-facing brand of Digi Jadoo Broadband Ltd, which is arguably the largest cable TV operators in Bangladesh.
VCAS for DVB Hybrid offers Jadoo Digital with a cardless, software-centric approach that leverages the security functions within modern system-on-chip (SoC) families to provide a truly cost effective system. Jadoo Digital has taken advantage of the integration between VCAS for DVB Hybrid and CubiTV from Cubiware, a Warsaw-based subsidiary of TiVo Inc which allows Jadoo Digital to choose middleware and security platforms independently based on their individual requirements and helps enable the entire ecosystem to be deployed within weeks.
“It was crucial that we implement a unified content security solution capable of reducing OPEX and CAPEX as we expand our business models in order to maintain our status as an industry leader in the region,” said Jadoo Digital Director Navidul Huq.
“Through its best-of-breed partner ecosystem, Verimatrix provides a unique advantage in enabling us to deploy a cardless STB security solution to optimize our time to market.”
“We are thrilled that VCAS for DVB Hybrid continues to prove its value as a single content authority solution for DVB hybrid services and as a cost-effective package to support the needs of operators in increasingly thriving global markets,” said Verimatrix, President Steve Oetegenn. “The added benefit of VCAS for DVB Hybrid for Jadoo Digital is that its underlying VCAS architecture is flexible and scalable enough to provide a migration path for future upgrades. We look forward to fulfilling their long-term security needs as the market continues to evolve,” he added in parting.
iWorld
Snapchat parent Snap cuts 16 per cent of workforce in AI-driven restructuring
The Snapchat parent is axing around 1,000 jobs and closing 300 open roles to save $500m, as artificial intelligence makes smaller teams the new normal
CALIFORNIA: Snap is snapping. The Snapchat parent has confirmed plans to cut around 1,000 employees, roughly 16 per cent of its full-time workforce, as it bets that artificial intelligence can do what headcount once required. Shares jumped more than 10 per cent in premarket trading on the news, a brisk vote of confidence from a market that has watched the stock shed about 31 per cent this year.
The restructuring, which also closes more than 300 open roles, follows pressure from activist investor Irenic Capital Management, which holds an economic interest of about 2.5 per cent in the company and has been loudly pushing Snap to tighten its portfolio and lift performance. The firm got what it asked for, and then some.
Chief executive Evan Spiegel told employees the cuts would reduce annualised expenses by more than $500m by the second half of the year. The company expects to incur charges of between $95m and $130m related to the layoffs, mostly severance, with the bulk landing in the second quarter. Staff in Snap’s North America team were asked to work from home on the day of the announcement.
The financial backdrop is not without bright spots. Snap expects first-quarter revenue to rise around 12 per cent to approximately $1.53 billion, broadly in line with analyst estimates. Adjusted core profit for the January to March quarter is forecast at about $233m, comfortably ahead of Wall Street’s expectation of $186.8m.
The harder question surrounds Specs, Snap’s augmented reality smart glasses subsidiary, which Irenic has urged the company to spin off or shut down entirely. The unit has absorbed more than $3.5 billion in investment and burns through approximately $500m in cash annually. Snap is pressing ahead regardless, with a consumer product expected later this year, even as Meta leads the market in the segment.
Spiegel is betting that leaner teams, smarter machines and a consumer AR play can restore Snap’s credibility with investors who have run out of patience. The redundancy notices have gone out. The harder restructuring, the one that requires a hit product rather than a headcount reduction, is still very much pending.
