Canadian tier 2 operator Cogeco Connexion announced the rollout of Ericsson’s recently rebranded MediaFirst IPTV platform.

The Montreal-based cable operator will deploy the MediaFirst TV platform with Android Google mobile services, encoding on-demand, video storage and processing Platform (VSPP), content management system (CMS) and professional services,

“Once integrated, Cogeco Connexion's new MediaFirst Video Experience will be entirely IPTV-based, voice activated, and will rely entirely on a media-optimized cloud-based TV platform," said Michel Blais, VP, engineering and operations, Cogeco Connexion, in a statement. ”We expect to make the service available to customers throughout our footprint by mid-year 2019 and it will then become the standard video experience offered to new customers."

Related: Ericsson Rebrands Media Solutions Unit as MediaKind

It was only in July when Ericsson announced that its Media Solutions unit, which includes the MediaFirst IPTV platform, has been rebranded as MediaKind. The unit includes technology Ericsson has acquired from such companies as Aspex, Azuki Systems, Envivio, Fabrix, HyCGroup and Tandberg Television. The division currently serves more than 900 cable, satellite and telecom service providers and broadcasters around the world with video delivery technology.

In January, One Equity Partners agreed to buy 51% of the Media Solutions business. MediaKind also named its senior executive team, led by CEO Angel Ruiz.

In its press release, Cogeco said, “Customers currently enjoying our existing video services, including the advanced TiVo solution, will continue to be offered their current services in the future as MediaFirst will coexist with these video platforms.”

In January 2017, Congeco announced the deployment of a TiVo-powered 4K DVR, along with the introduction of TSN 4K, a channel that provides Ultra HD coverage of live sporting events and games featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto FC.

Related: Bell Canada Rings Up Ericsson for Upgraded TV Platform

As for MediaFirst, other Canadian operators have deployed the IPTV platform, as well. In January, for example, Bell announced an expanded deal with Ericsson to make the platform part of the technology offering that serves more than 1.5 million Fibe TV and Alt TV subs in Canada.

Telus, another Canadian service provider that has previously used Ericsson’s MediaRoom, is announced in December of last year that it’s also upgrading to MediaFirst to augment Optik TV, its full-freight, managed IPTV service. Telus is also using Ericson’s MediaFirst platform to power Pik TV, an IP-delivered skinny bundle service that was introduced last year.

"Trends in TV viewing clearly show that operators must always innovate in order to offer a rich and customized customer experience,” said Ken Smithard, president of Cogeco Connexion. “After careful consideration, we are confident that the MediaFirst IPTV platform is the best vehicle to fulfill our promise to Canadian viewers by offering a cutting-edge technology with personalization features and greater ease of use for the kind of viewing experience our customers want and deserve."

Ericsson used this week’s NAB Show to bow a variant of its cloud-based MediaFirst platform that supports Ultra HD and High Dynamic Range.  

The offering features and integrates Ericsson’s AVP System Encoder (supporting MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC and HEV), the MediaFirst Content Processing system, and the MediaFirst Video Processing platform for VOD and live, linear TV.  

Ericsson didn’t announce any initial takers for the UHD-capable version of MediaFirst, but Bell Canada recently inked a deal with Ericsson for an upgraded TV platform that will support multiscreen video services.  

RELATED: Bell Canada Rings Up Ericsson for Upgraded TV Platform 

Bell Canada has been using Mediaroom, the IPTV platform Ericsson acquired from Microsoft in the fall of 2013. MediaFirst is a next-gen, cloud-powered IP video platform from Ericsson that covers TVs as well as web browsers, smartphones and tablets and targets MVPDs as well as OTT service providers. Other announced MediaFirst customers include J:COM, Japan's largest cable operator, and Canada's SaskTel.  

In late January, Ericsson announced that One Equity Partners would acquire a majority stake in Ericsson's Media division, which includes Mediaroom and MediaFirst.  

Arris will get a piece of the action as Bell Canada upgrades its Fibe TV service to a personalized, multiscreen offering that will be powered by Ericsson’s MediaFirst platform.

Arris said it will be aiding that deployment with new boxes that support both 4K and High Dynamic Range, as well as 802.11ac WiFi using a 4x4 architecture. Arris’s  global services team will also provide integration services and customization for the user experience as Bell Canada moves to a MediaFirst-based offering.

Heading into the upgrade cycle, Bell Canada has been using Mediaroom, the IPTV platform Ericsson acquired from Microsoft in the fall of 2013. Arris has also been a key supplier of set-tops for Mediaroom.

Bell Canada’s IP-delivered Fibe TV service has about 1.5 million customers.

Arris reports Q4 2017 results on Wednesday afternoon.

Ericsson has concluded a review of strategic opportunities for its Media division (Media Solutions and Red Bee Media), announcing that One Equity Partners will acquire a majority stake in that business.

Ericsson’s Media business includes Mediaroom, the IPTV platform acquired from Microsoft in September 2013, as well as MediaFirst, a next-gen, cloud-based video platform for MVPDs and OTT service providers.

RELATED: Bell Canada Rings Up Ericsson for Upgraded TV Platform

Financial terms of the transaction with One Equity Partners was not disclosed. The deal is expected to close in Q3 2018. 

Ericsson, which retains a 49% stake in the Media Solutions unit, said it completed its review following an evaluation of different opportunities for both Media Solutions and Red Bee Media, including partnerships, divestments and continued in-house development. Ericsson initiated the review in March 2017.

RELATED: Ericsson Wraps Up Red Bee Buy

Last November, Ericsson renamed its Broadcast and Media Services business unit Red Bee Media, setting off another wave of speculation that the decision was tied to possible M&A activity involving that division.

RELATED: Ericsson Renames Broadcast and Media Services Business

Uncertainty about the future of Mediaroom and MediaFirst has caused some competitors to take advantage.

Cisco Systems, for example, has been pushing ahead with a Mediaroom replacement program that aims to convert some of those service providers to Cisco’s own cloud-based, multiscreen offering, the Infinite Video Platform. Cisco, which is in discussions with service providers about that program with plans to start trials soon, has said that Mediaroom users can convert to Cisco’s platform without swapping out their old set-top boxes.

RELATED: Cisco Attacks Ericsson’s Mediaroom Market (subscription required)

More Changes Afoot 

Ericsson announced the deal amid Q4 2017 financial results and a restructuring of its exec team.

Among the exec changes, Ericsson has created a Business Area Emerging Business unit to focus on “innovation and new business development,” with an initial focus on IoT and distributed cloud solutions.  Effective April 1, Åsa Tamsons will take on the role of SVP and head of Ericsson’s Business Area Emerging Business. Tamsons joins Ericsson from McKinsey & Company, where she has held the position as partner in McKinsey’s Stockholm office.

Ericsson is also streamlining its group function structure, from currently six functions to four. The majority of current Group Function Technology & Emerging Business, including hosted group responsibilities such as the CTO office and Ericsson Research, will form part of Business Area Emerging Business.

Starting February 1, current Group Function Marketing & Communications and Group Function Sustainability & Public Affairs will be merged into a new Group Function Marketing & Corporate Relations, headed by Helena Norrman, currently head of Group Function Marketing & Communications.

Ericsson said its Business Area Digital Services is “undergoing significant transformation to create a profitable and strong offering in this strategically important area,” and Ulf Ewaldsson has decided to step down from leading the unit, and assume the role as advisor to the CEO.

On the financial end, Ericsson said Q4 sales dipped 12%, and that it saw a net reduction of 10,000 employees and external workforce during the quarter.

Ericsson Media Solutions and Bell Canada have inked an expanded multi-year deal that paves the way for the Canadian telco to build and launch a new multiscreen TV service powered by the vendor’s cloud-based MediaFirst platform.

The deal will bring personalized and converged multiscreen services to more than 1.5 million Fibe TV and Alt TV subs in Canada, they said.

Bell Canada has been using Mediaroom, the IPTV platform Ericsson acquired from Microsoft in the fall of 2013. MediaFirst is a next-gen, cloud-powered IP video platform that covers TVs as well as web browsers, smartphones and tablets.

“When integrated with Mediaroom, MediaFirst will deliver an agile, next generation TV platform with the necessary flexibility to easily incorporate third party apps,” they said.

Telus, another Canadian service provider that has previously used Mediaroom, is also upgrading to MediaFirst to augment Optik TV, its full-freight, managed IPTV service. Telus is also using Ericson’s MediaFirst platform to power Pik TV, an IP-delivered skinny bundle service that was introduced last April that runs smartphones, tablets and an Android TV-powered box sold by Telus for C$100.

RELATED: Telus Soft-Launches Skinny Bundle IPTV Service

Other announced MediaFirst customers include J:COM, Japan's largest cable operator, and Canada's SaskTel. 

A set of Canadian cable service providers – Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications and Videotron – are moving ahead with next-gen, multiscreen pay TV services that are powered by Comcast’s X1 platform. In the U.S., Cox Communications is also using an X1 syndication deal to underpin its new Contour pay TV service.

RELATED: Videotron to Use Comcast’s X1 Platform to Power New IPTV Service

Ericsson said Telus is using the vendor’s new cloud-based MediaFirst platform to enhance and augment Optik TV, the Canada-based telco’s full-freight, managed IPTV service.

Among those enhancements, MediaFirst will add personalization features across devices (including TV and mobile) and enable Optic TV subs to watch TV, set recordings and watch VOD content on the Optik TV app using a unified interface. Those additions are now reflected in the Optik TV apps for iOS and Android.

The updated platform also taps into advanced analytics tools that help the service provider target relevant content and promotions to viewers, they said.

In the first phase, Telus has launched the enhanced version of the Optik TV app to almost 1 million customers in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec.

Optik TV was originally developed on Mediaroom, the IPTV platform that Ericsson acquired from Microsoft in the fall of 2013.

Telus is also using Ericson’s MediaFirst platform to power “Pik TV,” an IP-delivered skinny bundle service that was introduced in April that runs smartphones, tablets and an Android TV-powered box sold by Telus for C$100.

RELATED: Telus Soft-Launches Skinny Bundle IPTV Service

Other announced MediaFirst customers include J:COM, Japan's largest cable operator, and Canada's SaskTel. 

RELATED: J:COM Taps Ericsson for New Multiscreen Service 

J:COM, Japan’s largest cable operator, has tapped Ericsson for a next-gen, multiscreen TV service that will utilize Ericsson’s cloud-powered MediaFirst platform.

J:COM’s new offering, to become available to about 3.7 million subscribers, will also feature hybrid set-tops that use the Reference Design Kit (RDK), a preintegrated software stack that’s managed by a joint venture of Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications (coming way of Charter’s acquisition of Time Warner Cable).

RELATED: Ericsson Connects With The RDK

In addition to providing personalization features and a cloud-based interface, the new platform will also support Ultra HD content, they said.

Ericsson, which announced the deal ahead of this week’s IBC show in Amsterdam, said the basic design phase for J:COM’s new offering will get underway in Q4 2017.

The deal marks a significant win for Ericsson’s MediaFirst platform, which is also being used by Canada’s Telus for a new IPTV service called Pik TV that runs on smartphones, tablets and an Android TV-powered set-top.

RELATED: Telus Soft-Launches Skinny Bundle IPTV Service

“Consumers have more choice than ever before and it is therefore imperative that we stand out from the crowd to remain competitive in an ever-cluttered TV landscape, Hirohiko Imura president of J:COM, said in a statement. “We believe that a seamless and personalized TV Everywhere service will enable J:COM to create that distinction. By deploying Ericsson MediaFirst TV Platform, we will have access to a range of uniquely intelligent, high performance solutions that will help us to transform our television offering and strengthen our position at the forefront of TV innovation.”

Ericsson said it has integrated MediaFirst, its cloud-based multiscreen platform for MVPDs and OTT providers, with the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for video and broadband devices being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications (via its acquisition of Time Warner Cable).

Ericsson said the integration will be key as cable operator and satellite providers evolve to hybrid IPTV delivery platforms. Canada-based Telus is one of the early adopters of MediaFirst, but has not announced any plans to use RDK-based devices. Ericsson said other tier-1 providers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia are also on board, but isn't at liberty to identify them by name yet. 

MediaFirst is Ericsson’s new, HTML5-focused platform that’s tailored for the cloud and support for an array of connected devices/clients, including set-tops, tablets, smartphones, streaming players and PCs.

MediaFirst is separate from Mediaroom, the IPTV platform acquired by Ericsson in 2013 that’s deployed by providers such as AT&T U-verse, CenturyLink, Windstream, and Frontier Communications, among others.

Ericsson is one of more than 275 companies, including CE manufactures, chipmakers, software developers and service providers, to license the RDK.

“In this new IP world, consumers will put even greater demands on their providers to deliver amazing viewing experiences,” Shiva Patibanda, the new head of business line TV platforms at Ericsson, RDK pioneer, and the former CTO and GM of in-home products at SeaChange International. “By integrating MediaFirst TV onto the RDK, we can offer cable operators or any TV operator adopting RDK, a powerful cloud-based TV Platform to expand capabilities above and beyond consumers’ expectations.”

“Pay TV operators around the globe can now benefit from the common underlying software of the RDK, while retaining the ability to differentiate their customer facing TV experience using the innovative MediaFirst TV platform,” added Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK Management LLC. “Ericsson is a proven IPTV market leader whom we are proud to collaborate with and look forward to scaling this integration across Ericsson’s global customer base.” 

Ericsson confirmed that it has hired video tech industry vet Shiva Patibanda as vice president and chief technology officer of TV and Media.

Patibanda was formerly CTO and GM of in-home products at SeaChange International, in charge of its Nucleus video gateway software (and components that were included in the initial version of the Reference Design Kit), and left the company last year. Patibanda joined SeaChange in 2010 when it acquired middleware company VividLogic. According to his LinkedIn profile, Patibanda has been serving as president of a company called Danishta Inc., with his role described as a technical advisor and angel investor.

Patibanda joins Ericsson as it looks to stay aggressive in the TV and video sector, and focus on both traditional MVPDs as well as a broadening array of over-the-top providers.

In addition to bringing multiscreen enhancements to Mediaroom, the IPTV platform it acquired from Microsoft in 2013,  Ericsson is putting even more energy into MediaFirst, a new, HTML5-focused platform that’s tailored for the cloud and support for an array of connected devices/clients, including set-tops, tablets, smartphones, streaming players and PCs.

Ericsson is also playing a significant role at AT&T as the company, which already uses Mediaroom for U-verse TV, looks to evolve and integrate its satellite and wireline TV platforms. Earlier this week, AT&T announced plans to launch three DirecTV-branded OTT services in Q4 2016, and stressed that its broader video strategy will eventually revolve around a unified middleware and software platform for all of its video service distribution points (OTT, satellite, wireless, and managed IPTV).