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Vision247 acquires Synapse TV; Mike Alexanxder named MD
NEW DELHI: Broadcast services expert Vision247 has acquired interactive TV application and services specialist Synapse TV.
Vision247’s Connected Freeview services, including the VisionTV multi-channel portal, are operated by Synapse TV. The two organisations have been working closely for some time now.
Synapse – previously a subsidiary of Strategy & Technology (S&T) – has developed a sophisticated suite of technologies that allows interactive TV applications to be deployed quickly and cost-effectively. The majority of Synapse’s TV applications have been for MHEG-based platforms such as UK Freeview, but Synapse also now provides solutions for browser-based technologies such as HbbTV that are used in a growing number of markets worldwide.
Vision247 CEO Petra Oblak said, “We took a lead in OTT delivery of linear content via Connected Freeview over three years ago, so we fully understand the unique opportunity this provides broadcasters to deliver their services via Freeview – the UK’s largest TV platform – at a fraction of the cost associated with traditional over-the-air (OTA) broadcasting. Knowing the class-leading technology, unwavering customer focus, supreme professionalism and unique expertise within Synapse, it was a natural move to bring the company under the Vision247 umbrella.”
Synapse will operate as an independent business and continue under the leadership of Mike Alexander, who has been named managing director of Synapse TV.
The existing Synapse engineering team will be based at Vision247’s brand new facility at Chiswick Park, London. In addition to his Synapse role, Mike Alexander will also take up the position of commercial director at Vision247.
Alexander said, “I’m hugely excited by the combined opportunities resulting from this acquisition. Not only will we continue to provide broadcasters and media owners with the ability to deliver content to many millions of Connected Freeview homes in the UK, together we can provide a complete, fully-integrated end-to-end service and are ideally placed to serve the growing market for delivery of content to TVs and mobile devices.”
S&T will maintain a minority interest in Synapse while continuing to focus on its world renowned carousel generation solutions as well as its well established business supplying MHEG engines to digital TV receiver manufacturers around the world.
S&T co-founder and MD David Cutts said, “Vison247 and Synapse are service-orientated operations with significant synergies and complimentary offerings. I know that the TV application business we have built up over recent years will flourish under Vision247’s ownership.”
Synapse-operated services on Freeview currently include VuTV (channel 238), TVPlayer (241), VisionTV (244) and Planet Knowledge (245) with a number of additional services in the pipeline and scheduled to launch over the coming months.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
