GECs
Telefónica, Alcatel – Lucent conducting a pilot project for mobile interactive multimedia services in Spain
MUMBAI: Alcatel-Lucent and Telefónica are conducting a pilot project for mobile interactive multimedia services in Spain. The pilot project will encompass an offer of interactive TV, radio and music services for mobile handsets.
The tests started in early October 2006 and are scheduled to run for six months.
Telefónica Móviles España general director of technology Cayetano Lluch says, “We want to offer our customers the most complete personalised best-in class multimedia experience, that brings the full benefit of interactivity and excitement into their everyday lives. In the framework of this multi-faceted trial, we are eager to cooperate with Alcatel-Lucent and we will test its end-to-end solutions portfolio covering mobile TV, radio and music service delivery.”
Alcatel-Lucent’s convergence activities president Marc Rouanne says, “With more than 80 mobile TV and video services in operation worldwide, Alcatel-Lucent enjoys a leadership position in the booming mobile TV and radio market. We are proud to have been chosen by Telefónica to conduct these comprehensive mobile TV, radio and music trials, as this will allow us to demonstrate our capability to enable interactivity.”
The framework of this agreement Alcatel-Lucent is providing Telefónica with a trial platform of Alcatel-Lucent’s mobile interactive services. Additionally, Telefónica will test a set of complementary Alcatel-Lucent’s applications to bring full interactivity and enjoyment to the subscribers, all of them using the same platform and some elements already provided.
With Alcatel-Lucent’s Mobile Interactive TV solution, Telefónica will be able to create new, high-quality, interactive television services, allowing mobile end-users to watch high-quality TV channels, consult an electronic program guide (EPG) in a preferred format, rapidly change channels or content, and use contextual interactive services, such as ordering content associated with a TV programme, with one or two key strokes in their handsets.
Alcatel-Lucent’s mobile interactive solution will provide Telefónica’s end-users with a new way to hear radio on a mobile phone, allowing them to select different FM radio channels and to browse the Electronic Program Guide of these channels. In addition, interactive services will be linked to the content selected by the operator, that spans voting, alerts and interactive advertising services.
Alcatel-Lucent’s mobile interactive Music solution includes new music discovery services, music and video catalogues, as well as cross selling of several artist’s related content (ring tones, video clips, full tracks and wallpaper).
Alcatel-Lucent’s “Unlimited Mobile TV” solution uses a 3G-friendly hybrid satellite and terrestrial infrastructure based on the forthcoming DVB-SH broadcast mobile TV standard in the S-Band (2.2 GHz). It enables the delivery of an unlimited number of TV channels to an unlimited mobile audience with unlimited coverage.
In addition, to complement this ongoing technical evaluation, Telefónica and Alcatel-Lucent will perform market tests. Creating an ecosystem of key players, Alcatel-Lucent ensures the delivery of mobile interactive services on the right network, suited to the most appropriate content and advertiser sponsorship to the subscribers.
GECs
Zee scales syndication with global tie-ups, 350 plus channel MCN
Vertical, dubbed and audio formats boost digital reach
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is giving its content library a fresh passport. The company has stepped up its syndication push, signing global partnerships, experimenting with new-age formats and building a multi-channel network that now spans more than 350 channels.
With the newly secured MCN licence, Zee can manage, distribute and monetise content across leading digital platforms at scale, strengthening its presence in the fast-growing creator and short-form ecosystem.
To keep pace with changing viewing habits, the company is also reshaping its content into formats built for the small screen in your hand. In a tie-up with micro-drama platform Story TV, select titles are being reworked into vertical, short-duration episodes tailored for mobile-first audiences.
Beyond India, the syndication team is widening its global footprint with foreign-language dubbing and regional partnerships across Europe, Africa and Latin America, opening up fresh markets for Indian stories.
Zee is also tapping into the audio boom. It has begun licensing audio remake rights for legacy properties such as Zee Horror Show, with several more titles lined up for audio-first adaptations.
On the digital front, the company has made progress in monetising non-exclusive rights for library films, while converting select shows and movies from horizontal to vertical formats to improve discoverability on short-form platforms.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. business head syndication Vinod Johri, said syndication has emerged as a strong growth lever for the company. He noted that the combination of a large MCN network, global partnerships and new formats such as vertical video and audio is helping build a future-ready engine that extracts more value from the content library.
Together, these moves signal a platform-agnostic approach to storytelling, as Zee repackages, localises and redistributes its IP across geographies, formats and screens, ensuring its catalogue keeps working long after the first broadcast.
