The Reference Design Kit (RDK), an open-source software standard jointly managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications, has announced proliferation into 100 million CPE devices globally, up from 80 million announced in May 2021. 

RDK Management also said that the number of technology companies using and contributing code in the “RDK community” has reached 600, up from around 500 a year ago. 

RDK deployed in everything from pay TV set-top boxes to fixed 5G wireless gateways. Service providers using the standard in their devices include: Atlantic Broadband, BCN, Claro, Comcast, Cox, Deutsche Telekom, J:COM, KabelPlus, Liberty Global, Mediacom, Megacable Melita, NOS, Nuuday, Rogers Communications, SFR (part of Altice Europe), Shaw, Sky, Stofa, Telcom Argentina, Toya, Vectra, Vidéotron, Vodafone, VOO, VTR, WOW and Ziggo.

“Surpassing 100 million RDK device deployments is a testament to the central role RDK now plays at cable, telco, and satellite providers around the globe,” said Jason Briggs, president and general manager of RDK. 

“RDK has evolved into a versatile software platform that provides operators with consistency and efficiencies across CPE manufacturers, chipset suppliers, and their diverse footprints of transport networks," Briggs added. "Members of the community are also exploring new ways to extend the use of RDK into other areas, such as connected TVs, 5G fixed wireless gateways, and more. It’s certainly an exciting time for RDK, and our team is fully committed to providing the support and tools our community needs to achieve their technical and business objectives.” ▪️

RDK, the open software stack backed by Comcast, Cox Communications and Liberty Global, among others, is now in 60 million devices worldwide, an 18% increase over the 50 million devices announced a year ago.

The announcement was made by RDK Management, the group that manages the Reference Design Kit technology consortium. RDK software stacks power pay TV set-tops, broadband gateways, IP-connected cameras and other operator-supplied customer premises equipment.

“RDK now powers more than 60 million devices deployed by service providers around the world that require flexibility and control over their CPE software and diagnostics data,” said Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK, in a statement. “The new RDK App Framework enables them to develop and manage apps easily, and RDK broadband software is capable of powering next-gen gateways across DOCSIS, DSL and GPON. Over the past year, the RDK community has been actively working to develop open source software for connected cameras, which we expect to make available soon, to provide a new avenue of growth for operators.”

RDK Management said that more than 480 companies are now part of its open-source software community.

For video, RDK provides common methods to manage video tuning, conditional access, DRM, stream management, diagnostics, and more, for set-tops made by CommScope, Humax, KAON, Technicolor and other vendors. Pay TV operators can use the RDK App Framework to build and manage their own OTT apps. Meanwhile, a wide assortment of OTT apps are available through the Metrological App Store. 

Also read: Android TV to Become Dominant Global Pay TV Set-top Platform: Research Group

The purchase of Dutch tech vendor Metrological and subsequent integration of the Metrological App Store into RDK has “made RDK a realistic alternative for integrated broadcast/broadband services to Android TV Operator Tier with its admittedly superior Google app store,” Rethink Technology Research wrote in a report published this week.

Rethink Technology said last year’s launch the RDK Accelerator was another “key move in responding to the dominance of Android TV operator tier.

The RDK Lab Accelerator is based on the Arris VIP5202W UHD IP set-top and provides the RDK community an application development platform that uses the latest RDK application framework and the pre-integrated Metrological App Store.

The research company predicts that the Google-backed Android TV will dominate the global pay TV set-top business over the next five years. But RDK will maintain a market share of 57% for the U.S. market over the next five years, with the biggest cable companies choosing to use the software stack. 

RDK, the open software stack backed by Comcast, Cox Communications and Liberty Global, among others, is now in 60 million devices worldwide, an 20% increase over the 50 million devices announced a year ago.

The announcement was made by RDK Management, the group that manages the Reference Design Kit technology consortium. RDK software stacks power pay TV set-tops, broadband gateways, IP-connected cameras and other operator-supplied customer premises equipment. 

“RDK now powers more than 60 million devices deployed by service providers around the world that require flexibility and control over their CPE software and diagnostics data,” said Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK, in a statement. “The new RDK App Framework enables them to develop and manage apps easily, and RDK broadband software is capable of powering next-gen gateways across DOCSIS, DSL and GPON. Over the past year, the RDK community has been actively working to develop open source software for connected cameras, which we expect to make available soon, to provide a new avenue of growth for operators.”

RDK Management said that more than 480 companies are now part of its open-source software community. 

For video, RDK provides common methods to manage video tuning, conditional access, DRM, stream management, diagnostics, and more, for set-tops made by CommScope, Humax, KAON, Technicolor and other vendors. Pay TV operators can use the RDK App Framework to build and manage their own OTT apps. Meanwhile, a wide assortment of OTT apps are available through the Metrological App Store. 

Also read: Android TV to Become Dominant Global Pay TV Set-top Platform: Research Group

The purchase of Dutch tech vendor Metrological and subsequent integration of the Metrological App Store into RDK has “made RDK a realistic alternative for integrated broadcast/broadband services to Android TV Operator Tier with its admittedly superior Google app store,” Rethink Technology Research wrote in a report published this week. 

Rethink Technology said last year’s launch the RDK Accelerator was another “key move in responding to the dominance of Android TV operator tier. 

The RDK Lab Accelerator is based on the Arris VIP5202W UHD IP set-top and provides the RDK community an application development platform that uses the latest RDK application framework and the pre-integrated Metrological App Store.

The research company predicts that the Google-backed Android TV will dominate the global pay TV set-top business over the next five years. But RDK will maintain a market share of 57% fo the U.S. market over the next five years, with the biggest cable companies choosing to use the software stack. 

South Korean electronics vendor Humax has announced a new line of devices targeted to the cable operator market and built around Reference Design Kit (RDK), the open-source software stack favored by Comcast, Liberty Global and other cable companies.

The devices include a new RDK Video Accelerator, 4K video set-top, that includes pre-integrated apps with RDK app framework and access to the Metrological App Store.

There are two gateways: a DOCSIS 3.1 wireless voice gateway supporting 5 Gbps downstream; and a 2.5G GPON wireless voice gateway supporting 2.5 Gbps downstream.

Also included in Humax’s RDK product line is the 4K Soundbox, which features an integrated microphone for far-field voice recognition.

The RDK products signal an emerging strategy for Humax to compete directly with vendors including CommScope and Technicolor for the cable CPE market.

> “Humax is committed to continuous innovation, and that is especially true when it comes to RDK devices,” said Jeff Kim, executive VP of worldwide sales of Humax, in a statement. “For many of the leading video and broadband providers around the world, RDK is their software platform of choice, and we’re excited to deliver them this portfolio of new products. From our 4K IP set-top box and 4K Soundbox, to our GPON and DOCSIS gateways, we have RDK-powered solutions to meet the growing market demands.”

Added Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK: “Humax has been a leading contributor to the RDK community for years, and today’s announcement is another powerful case in point. On the video side, their stylish new RDK Video Accelerator IP set-top box will enable service providers to quickly test and launch new video applications for deployment. On the broadband side, Humax’s state-of-the-art RDK gateways for fiber and cable are designed to serve the needs of our community today, and into the future.” 

RDK Management said that its open-sourced Reference Design Kit (RDK) is now deployed in 50 million devices around the world.

The group also said that its community membership has expanded to more than 400 companies.

RDK Management made what has become its annual benchmark announcement from ANGA COM in Cologne, Germany. In March of 2018, it declared that RDK had been deployed in 40 million devices.

Related: RDK Partners with Metrological for Easier OTT App Integration

“Service providers around the globe recognize that RDK gives them ultimate control over their software roadmaps and data within the connected home, across video, broadband and IoT connected devices,” said Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK. “As such, there are now more than 50 million deployed devices powered by RDK software.

“On the broadband side, RDK has become the preferred software stack for broadband gateways from leading suppliers, and they are focused on providing RDK solutions across DOCSIS, DSL, and PON," Heeb added. "For video, the RDK App Framework and RDK Video Accelerator make it easier to develop and manage apps in a consistent way across RDK video devices. And, notably, RDK also provides a common method for service providers to leverage device management and ‘big data’ to improve broadband and video performance.”

Arris said it is the first supplier to offer Reference Design Kit (RDK) software on its new lineup of EPON gateways, seizing on a trend that has seen cable operators complement their networks with targeted fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) deployments.

The move will put those cable operators in position to unify the software stack they are using for broadband gateways that support both their widely deployed hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks and the small subset of FTTP networks.

RDK is a preintegrated software stack for IP-capable set-tops and gateways that is managed by a joint venture of Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications. RDK has been adapted for both video set-tops (RDK-V) and broadband devices (RDK-B). More than 350 companies spanning CPE makers, silicon vendors, software developers, systems integrators and service providers are currently part of the RDK community.

Service providers that are implementing RDK software include Comcast and Cox Communications in the U.S.; Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications and Videotron in Canada; Liberty Global, NOS, The Quickline Group, Vodafone and Tele Columbus in Europe; and J:COM, Japan’s largest cable operator.

RELATED: RDK Rides the Adoption Wave

Arris said the integration of RDK into its new EPON gateways will provide MSOs with a unified backoffice system for both fiber and DOCSIS architectures while also simplifying elements such as network provisioning. Arris has also tied its own HomeAssure home WiFi management platform into those EPON devices.

Arris said it recently completed its first RDK EPON gateway deployment in the U.S. with an unnamed tier-1 operator (Comcast is one of the known MSO adopters of EPON technology) and has already pushed ahead with “high-volume” RDK deployments on multiple DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 gateways.

"Arris’s support of RDK for its global EPON gateways is a testament to the continuous innovation of Arris and also demonstrates the versatility of the RDK open-source software," Steve Heeb, president and GM of RDK Management LLC, said in a statement. "As service providers around the globe look to deploy fiber gateways, RDK provides a common method to manage core functionality, including home networking, IoT interfaces, device management, real time diagnostics, and more."

RDK Management LLC, a joint venture of Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications, said more than 40 million devices – including set-tops and broadband gateways – are now running Reference Design Kit software.

RELATED: RDK Rides the Adoption Wave

That total is up by more than 62% from this time last year, RDK Management said in numbers that were released in tandem with this week’s Connected TV World Summit in London.

RDK Management also announced that its community members have surpassed 350 companies, up 17% from 2017. Those members include chipmakers, set-top makers, software companies as well as service operators that include Cox Communications, Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications, Videotron,  NOS, NOWO, J:COM, Melita, The Quickline Group, Vodafone (formerly Kabel Deutschland), and Tele Columbus, among others.

RDK has historically focused on video set-tops (RDK-V) and broadband gateways (RDK-B), but has also added core interfaces used in smart home and IoT devices, including Bluetooth, Thread and Zigbee, and is developing open source software for chips that run on a range of new devices, including home video cameras and WiFi extenders.

“With more than 40 million RDK-based set-top boxes and broadband gateways deployed globally, it’s clear that service providers, and their suppliers, have found a prime open source software development platform upon which to drive future growth and innovation,” Steve Heeb, president and GM of RDK Management, said in a statement.

RDK Management-- a joint venture of Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications -- and Broadcom have forged a strategic development agreement that will more closely integrate chipset-level software from Broadcom with RDK’s open source software.

They believe the effort, announced as the 2018 RDK Americas Summit gets underway Wednesday in Denver, will create a common software porting layer that will simplify and standardize RDK deployments across consumer premises equipment suppliers used by video and broadband service providers around the globe.

RELATED: RDK Rides the Adoption Wave

The work all stems around the Reference Design Kit, a preintgrated software stack for video set-tops (RDK-V) and a newer flavor for gateways (RDK-B).  RDK Management and Broadcom will initially focus the agreement on RDK-V software, and include broadband gateway system-on-a-chip (SoC) and RDK-B software later.

The new effort is emerging in part because each CPE maker has typically used slightly modified SoC-layer software to support RDK-based devices, even when using the same Broadcom SoC and same version of RDK software. The revised approach, they said, will provide for a more efficient process to keep Broadcom SoC software development kit versions in sync with RDK versions.

RELATED: IBC 2017: J:COM Taps Ericsson for New Multiscreen Service

To that end, RDK Management and Broadcom will synchronize the release of new RDK versions with the new Broadcom SDK porting layer versions that Broadcom makes available to its licensees. The result, they said, will optimize and streamline the service provider’s ability to develop and deploy software used on Broadcom-powered devices.

“By simplifying and streamlining the underlying software, services providers and their CPE suppliers can focus more of their attention on enhancing customer experiences that drive business results,” Steve Heeb, president and GM of RDK Management, said in a statement.

“We believe that optimizing the RDK-SoC SDK porting layer will enable CPE manufactures and service providers to deploy and iterate even faster,” added Rich Nelson, senior vice president and general manager, of Broadcom’s set-top box and cable modem division.

RDK Management said more than 25 service providers in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia are in various stages of evaluation, testing, trials, or deployment, and more than 300 vendors (CE companies, chipmakers, software developers and system integrators) that are involved in RDK.

On the service provider side, known RDK adopters/implementers include Comcast, Cox Communications, Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications, Videotron, Liberty Global, NOS, The Quickline Group, Vodafone (formerly Kabel Deutschland), Tele Columbus, and J:Com.

After starting out as a video-centric platform, the Reference Design Kit (RDK) has branched off to support broadband gateways as well.

The RDK, a preintegrated software platform for IP-connected set-tops and gateways managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications, has been ramping its adoption curve as more service providers lean on it for their next-gen services and a growing group of vendors add support.

To catch up on all things RDK, Multichannel News recently caught up with Steve Heeb, president and GM of RDK Management LLC. An edited transcript follows.

Multichannel News: Can you offer an update on RDK stats in terms of overall licensees as well as service providers that are on board?

Steve Heeb: Things are going great with the RDK thanks to the passion, and maturation, of our community. The RDK has become a prime software development platform supported by more than 300 technology companies across OEMs, SoC vendors, software developers, system integrators, and service providers.

More than 25 service providers across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia are members of the RDK community and are in various stages of evaluation, testing, trials, or deployment. Notable service providers that are implementing the RDK include: Comcast and Cox in the United States; Shaw, Rogers, and Videotron in Canada; Liberty Global, NOS, The Quickline Group, Vodafone (formerly Kabel Deutschland), and Tele Columbus in Europe; and Liberty Global in Latin America.  And, just last month, Japan’s J:Com announced its intention to go RDK.  On both the video and broadband front, operators are actively embracing the RDK open-source software solution to help power their next-gen devices.

RELATED: IBC 2017: J:COM Taps Ericsson for New Multiscreen Service

MCN: Where do you expect the next wave of growth to come from?

SH: While RDK-V (video) continues to be a key growth driver, we anticipate that the impact of RDK-B (broadband) will likely be more significant over time. As service providers look to provide a range of new services for connected-homes, the need for common underlying software in broadband gateways is growing more acute. RDK-B provides this common method to manage various broadband functions, such as home-networking interfaces (e.g. WiFi and MoCA), device management, diagnostics, and smart home/IoT interfaces (e.g. Bluetooth, Thread and Zigbee). Over the past year, we’ve seen greater interest from service providers, and wider adoption of RDK-B by leading chipset manufacturers and OEMs.

MCN: What are some of the latest advancements or enhancements that have been made to RDK?

SH: RDK-V has moved to embrace the WPE [Webkit Pure Embedded] browser, a high performance, resource efficient implementation of WebKit specifically targeted for embedded software devices such as IP set-top boxes.

Related to this, we have ports of the RDK running on open test platforms such as Raspberry Pi and x86 PC emulators. We use these devices as our primary test platforms when making our software releases. On the RDK-B side, we continue to work to drive greater standardization with some of the key silicon vendors. In addition, we have received positive feedback on some of our device management features such as WebPA & xconf which enables real time control, configuration and feedback from RDK-B based devices.

MCN: What are some features that are on the roadmap?

SH: Our roadmap is driven by the RDK community, so they set the course. For RDK-V, we are looking at opportunities to standardize common elements of the application framework enabling common APIs and easier portability of premium apps across RDK implementations.  For RDK-B, more and more service providers see the RDK as the foundation for a range of new IoT services, so you can expect to see more on that front. Plus, you can expect to see new RDK “software profiles” for devices in the connected home from cameras to Wi-Fi extenders and more. 

MCN: We sometimes think of RDK being for set-tops and broadband gateways, but are there other devices that will fit into the RDK ecosystem, like smart home hubs and other IoT-style devices?

SH: Any device in the connected home today relies on an OEM with chipsets, and these OEM/chipset solutions have a software layer. Right now, much of this software is proprietary and widely divergent, making it a challenge for service providers to deliver unified experiences or gather common key data needed to serve their subscribers. RDK-B offers the ability to help address these underlying issues, while still giving companies the flexibility to innovate on their customer-facing software. So, there are certainly plenty of new kinds of devices that could benefit from the RDK.

MCN: As you try to gain more ground in the market, what is your biggest challenge to overcome with respect to service providers? That they’ve already picked a horse to ride for their next-gen platforms?

SH: If there is one thing that is universal, it’s that service providers tend to have very particular points of view when it comes to their next-gen platforms. Our role at RDK Management LLC is to be an educational resource for them, and to facilitate the sharing of best-practices among our community.  Fortunately, we now have the scale we need to be self-sustaining, and our software is available in open-source for service providers to adapt as they see fit.

We assume that the video and broadband landscape will be even more competitive in three to five years and that operators will require a modern software platform with access to real time data to run their products and services in order to be responsive to customer demands and competitive solutions. The RDK can provide this and act as a catalyst that enables real time data collection, the ability to implement agile software development, and the ability to utilize a Dev-Ops product development and operating methodology. It’s really powerful with the results you can achieve. The main misconception is that you have to transition to a Dev-Ops methodology day one, and that’s not true.

The beauty of the RDK is that the operator can utilize the RDK for what best fits their operating model. If they want to start fast, great. If they want to start slow, they can outsource the software management to a SI or OEM and transition to an agile software development and Dev-Ops product methodology on their own timeline. The key is that they will have real time data to help make this decision, and they are in control of the schedule.

MCN: Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter (via Time Warner Cable) have been heading up RDK for years. Has there been any interest from other companies to become a formal part of the co-venture?

SH: We are continually talking with service providers and technology companies about ways to become more involved with the RDK. We operate the RDK as an open source project, so we are open to suggestions by companies in the community, but most companies prefer to be involved through our technical working committees similar to other successful open source projects.

MCN: For operators that are outside that mix, what avenues are available to them to voice their needs or influence the direction of RDK?

SH: Like I previously mentioned, the RDK is an open-source community established to serve the needs of service providers and technology companies. Any service provider can contribute or receive code. They can join working committees, participate in RDK events, and propose code changes or roadmaps, and more.  Our mantra is “vote with your code,” which means all of community members, not just service providers, have the ability to influence the direction of the RDK.

Add NOS, Portugal’s major cable operator, to the list of MSOs that is embracing OTT.

NOS, which serves more than 1.6 million video homes in Portugal, is working with Metrological to integrate a variety of OTT offerings, via a TV apps store, for its new UMA TV platform, which includes a 4K-capable box made by Arris that is powered by the Reference Design Kit (RDK), a pre-integrated software platform being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications.

RELATED: NOS Rolls RDK-Based Hybrid Platform in Portugal

Under the agreement, NOS will integrate OTT alongside its traditional pay TV offering using Metrological’s Application Platform, WPE (Web Platform for Embedded) browser and WPE cloud architecture.

NOS hasn’t revealed which OTT apps will be offered on its platform, but Metrological has already helped two other RDK champions – Comcast and Liberty Global – integrate online services such as Netflix on their respective set-top boxes.

RELATED: Liberty Global Taps Metrological for Netflix Rollout

Pedro Bandeira, head of development at NOS, said it’s important to employ an architecture that ensures that OTT services are not delivered to set-tops in in separate silos, but are seamlessly integrated into the operator’s interface/navigation and search platform.

“It’s a full experience, a full package,” Bandeira explained, adding that NOS’s new hybrid set-top box platform “offers us the flexibility to do such a move.”

Metrological’s approach, added company SVP of sales and marketing Thijs Bijleveld, doesn’t replace anything on the box’s middleware stack, but employs an open-source browser that can efficiently onboard apps.

Espial said it has contributed a batch of conditional access system integration and certification software to the community of the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for video and broadband gateways that’s managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications.

RELATED: Tele Columbus Takes RDK Route to Next-Gen Video

In this instance, Espial is contributing to RDK-V, the video-focused flavor of the platform.

Espial said it has certified and deployed RDK-V version 2 with several conditional access system companies, including Nagra, Cisco systems, Verimatrix and Widevine (part of Google) for future RDK-powered implementations.

Espial added that it has also contributed components to help speed set-top box porting, including Hardware Abstraction Layer technologies for set-tops and remote control functions, and other elements that aim to improve the STB porting code base.

Espial noted that it has deployed RDK-V version 2.x with European cable operators such as NOS of Portugal and TeleColumbus of Germany.

RELATED: NOS Rolls RDK-Based Hybrid Platform in Portugal

"Espial's contributions are important additions to RDK and their real-world learning and experience is an asset to the community" said Bill Warga, VP technology at Liberty Global, in a statement.

"The success of the RDK is driven by members like Espial bringing innovation, technical expertise, and best practices to the RDK community. A prime example of this is the contributions Espial has made to RDK-V CAS integrations and certifications that significantly benefit global service providers and their technology partners," added Steve Heeb, president at RDK Management LLC.

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.”

The Reference Design Kit, the preintegrated software stack for IP-capable set-tops and broadband gateways, has been deployed by operators in more than 25 million devices worldwide, up 67% from a year ago.

That’s according to the RDK Management LLC, the joint venture of Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications, which announced the updated figure at the 2017 Connected TV World Summit in London.

Membership of the RDK community, which includes service operators, chipmakers, software firms and device makers, now numbers more than 300, the JV said.

RDK Management said more than 25 cable, satellite and telco providers around the world are in various stages of evaluation, testing, trials, or deployment. Known examples of service providers that have adopted RDK or plan to do so include Comcast, Shaw Communications and Rogers Communications of Canada, NOS of Portugal, Liberty Global, Cox Communications, Vodafone (formerly Kabel Deutshland) and Tele Columbus of Germany, and Switzerland’s The Quickline Group.

RELATED: Tele Columbus Takes RDK Route to Next-Gen Video

RDK has been adapted for video devices (RDK-V), supporting a common framework for functions such as tuning, IP video, third-party DRM and media streaming, as well as broadband CPE (RDK-B), and support for a wide range of networking and IoT interfaces, including WiFi, MoCA, Thread and Zigbee. Both options are designed to accelerate the development of new products.

“Due to the passion and maturation of our community, the RDK has become a prime software development platform that powers more than 25 million set-top boxes and broadband gateways used by pay TV operators around the world,” Steve Heeb, president and GM of  RDK Management LLC, said in a statement. “On both the video and broadband front, operators are actively embracing our transparency and open-source software, collaborating with leading technology companies, and contributing new innovations back to the RDK community. Together, we’ve embraced the best practices of the software industry, enabling operators to iterate faster than ever before.”  

At the event, a keynote panel about RDK today will feature Heeb; Fraser Stirling, SVP hardware development & AI at Comcast; Pedro Bandeira, director product development, NOS Portugal; Olivier Philippe, VP, entertainment technology, Liberty Global; and Christian Constant, VP, product development entertainment, Vodafone Germany. 

Arris has introduced what it calls the first retail voice gateway equipped with RDK-B technology, a version of the Reference Design Kit (RDK) tailored for broadband devices, to be approved for use on Comcast’s network.

Arris said the RDK-B capability provides a common way to manage functions such as home networking interfaces, including WiFi, device management, and diagnostics.

The Reference Design Kit, a preintegrated software platform, is also used in certain video set-tops and gateways (RDK-V). The project is being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications (via its acquisition of Time Warner Cable).

RELATED: RDK Breaks Away From The Set-Top Box

Arris’s new product, the SURFboard SVG2482AC Voice Gateway, is a DOCSIS 3.0 device (24x8 channel bonding configuration) equipped with four Gigabit Ethernet ports, two telephony ports, and 3x3 802.11ac WiFi radios. Arris is also selling an optional battery for backup so the gateway can place and receive voice calls during power outages.

Arris is selling the SVG2482AC at Amazon and via its own online store for $249.99

Arris competes in the DOCSIS retail modem and gateway market with companies such as Netgear, Linksys, TP-Link and Zoom Telephonics, which has rights to the Motorola brand.

Jeff Heynen, consulting director and senior research analyst in SNL Kagan’s Media & Communications unit, has recently estimated that retail sales make up 10% to 15% of the total DOCSIS CPE market.

RELATED: Retail Modem Market Small, but Active (subscription required)

Tele Columbus, the German MSO with about 3.6 million cable-connected homes, has introduced “advanceTV,” a multiscreen pay TV offering that will integrate over-the-top video, support 4K video and rely on RDK-based boxes from Humax with Espial’s ‘G4” client.

Espial, which is also baking in its cloud-based Media Services Platform, also served as the master system integrator for the platform, which is also powered by products from Cisco Systems, Verimatrix, and Elemental Technologies (now part of Amazon Web Services).

Update: Also tied to the advanceTV project is Metrological, which is helping to deliver several apps at launch, including Vimeo, Flickr, DailyMotion, Google Maps, wetter.com, Wikipedia, Deezer, TuneIn, and Deutsche Welle, among others. 

RELATED: Tele Columbus Takes RDK Route to Next-Gen Video

advanceTV, a service that will become available in January 2017, will be integrated with maxdome, one of Germany’s top SVOD-OTT services, and tie in Web apps. The service’s new UI provides integrated access across the MSO’s live TV and VOD services, DVR recordings, and maxdome library.

Tele Columbus, which acquired PrimaCom last year, introduced the new offering Monday (Dec. 5) at a media event in Berlin.

Tele Columbus’s plan is to migrate to the new platform by making advanceTV available to all new customers and introduce campaigns aimed at upgrading legacy video subs to the new platform.

Tele Columbus is also the third European MSO in Europe to implement the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software platform for video and broadband gateways being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications (via its acquisition of Time Warner Cable).  In Europe, Liberty Global is also deploying RDK, as is NOS of Portugal, which is also working with Espial. Tele Columbus’s rollout will include full unicast support of DVB-C

RELATED: Espial Seals Deal For Arris’s Whole Home Solution Platform

Cloud Force Digital Media, a company that enables programmers and operator partners to distribute content on a variety of interactive, cloud-powered platforms, said it has becoming a card-carrying member of the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software platform for video and broadband devices being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications.

Cloud Force Digital said its RDK license will help it build, distribute and monetize Internet apps for operators, programmers, service providers and advertisers that use the RDK stack.

Per the company’s web site, Cloud Force Digital said it can help new companies gain access to Comcast’s X1 platform and other cable and digital cloud interactive platforms, and build, distribute and monetize HTML5 apps.  

The company also notes that its will “project manage the 4 month application development cycle of the X1 app and create both the sales and marketing presentations to the cable operators in order to secure approval both in the cable test market and a national rollout.”  

Once an X1 TV app is approved for market testing, it’s sent to the vendor’s technology partner for an Adobe Primetime “advanced software RDK technical upgrade.”  Following the upgrade, Cloud Force Digital Media will help to distribute the X1 app “nationally on cable cloud interactive platforms.”

Comcast’s X1 platform, now deployed to about 45% of the MSO’s video sub base, leans heavily on the RDK. Cox Communications and Shaw Communications are also syndicating X1 for their respective next-gen video platforms. Liberty Global is also adopting RDK for its Horizon TV platform. 

RELATED: Shaw ‘On Track’ For Full-Footprint Rollout of X1

Cloud Force also announced it has partnered with To The New, an India-based firm that has created a “turnkey” video OTT platform for broadcasters, content owners, aggregators and media companies.

RELATED: Liberty Global CEO: RDK 'A DOCSIS Moment' For Cable

“Cloud Force and the RDK community are both focused on delivering next-generation interactive video services.  In addition, by joining forces with TO THE NEW, Cloud Force will be able to deliver transformative apps that are a necessary part of this evolution,” E.J. Klein, Cloud Force’s CEO and founder, said in a statement. Klein is also late of Universal Music Group, HSN, CBC Television and Food Network.

Cable modem and gateway maker Hitron Americas Technology said it is pitching in for RDK-B, the broadband-focused flavor of the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for IP-capable video and broadband devices being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications.

Get complete coverage of Cable-Tec Expo 2016

Hitron, which will show off an Intel-powered DOCSIS 3.1 device at next week’s SCTE/ISBE Cable-Tec Expo show in Philadelphia, said it’s joining the RDK community as an Advanced Support Program (ASP) partner and its Platinum Media Sponsorship Program (MSP).

“With upcoming DOCSIS 3.1 gateway deployments, we will also see the proliferation of RDK-B powered CPE,” Todd Babic, the vendor’s chief sales and marketing officer, said in a statement.

RDK-B complements RDK-V, which is focused on video devices.

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.” 

Eurofins Digital Testing, a provider of quality assurance and testing services, said it is adding more multiplatform TV and video smarts to its repertoire via the acquisition of Sweden-based Labatus.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal gives Eurofins access to a company that makes automated test products for a range of devices, including set-tops, smartphones, tablets, as well as apps.

Labatus, they noted, also supports the deployment of TiVo-powered platforms for MVPDs such as Com Hem, Sweden’s largest cable operator.

Eurofins, which will show off its handiwork at next month’s IBC show in Amsterdam, also announced the opening of a new test facility in Gdansk, Poland, that will provide a “near-shore testing facility” operators in Europe.

Eurofins recently joined a large group of companies licensing the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for IP-capable video and broadband devices being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications (via its recent acquisition of Time Warner Cable.)

Eurofins Digital Testing has joined a growing list of vendors and operators to license the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for hybrid and IP-only set-tops and gateways being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications (via its acquisition of Time Warner Cable). 

Eurofins (formerly Testronic Labs Belgium) said it has been picked by multiple operators to manage TV service testing on RDK-based set-tops. Those MSOs where not named, but others MVPDs that have licensed RDK include NOS of Portugal, Rogers Communications, Kabel Deutschland, and Japan’s J:COM, among others.

“By providing insight into the availability, stability and quality of next-gen video services, companies like Eurofins play an important role in helping operators speed the deployment of RDK based products,” said Jason Briggs, senior director of licensing and strategic development at RDK Management, in  a statement.

“Test automation is fast becoming one of the most important factors for operators looking to accelerate deployment of video services and deliver the very best experience,” added Johan Craeybeckx, CEO of Eurofins Digital Testing Belgium Division.

RDK Development said the platform is supported by more than 250 companies including CE manufacturers, SoCs vendors, software developers, system integrators, and network operators.

In May, RDK Development announced that more than 15 million devices were running the RDK.

RDK started out as a platform for video devices (now called RDK-V), but has since branched out to include broadband gateways (RDK-B). 

Espial execs shed more light on the strategy and financial angle behind its proposed acquisition of Arris’s Whole Home Solution (WHS), a platform that has been deployed by more than 40 small- and mid-sized pay TV operators.

The business will add more than C$10 million (US$7.7 million) to Espial’s financials on an annual basis, with an expectation that the business will grow 20% to 30% per year, Jaison Dolvane, CEO of Ottawa-based Espial, said Wednesday on a call with reporters and analysts.

According to Espial CFO Carl Smith, 25% of WHS revenues is for recurring hosting and support, less than 10% for professional services revenue, with the balance made up of software license revenue. “There will be no hardware product revenue” for Espial coming way of the deal, Smith said.

Espial and Arris did not announce the financial terms of the asset deal, but Dolvane said Espial’s upfront payment for the WHS assets is “not material” to the Ottawa-based company, adding that Espial’s investment into its broader business over the next two years will be “more significant.”

Under the current plan, Espial believes this part of its business can go EBIDTA positive in 2018.

Dolvane estimated that there are more than 2 million boxes deployed that are powered by Arris’s WHS platform. He said the growth plan includes expanding the reach of WHS at existing customers, upselling others, and selling and deploying the offering to new customers.

He said Espial will look for WHS to help it expand in North America, as well as regions such as Europe, where Espial already has a presence (NOS in Portugal, and Tele Columbus in Germany, for example), and the Asia Pacific.

Though Espial is obtaining the assets of WHS, including about 50 Arris engineers and software developers, it’s not getting into the set-top-making business.

Under its new relationship, Espial will focus on software and user interfaces while Arris will continue to provide media gateways and set-tops. Previously, Arris sold WHS by bundling its software and hardware.

Updated: For set-tops and gateways, Espial said Arris its its "preferred to develop, manufacture, and distribute innovative WHS media gateways and set-tops and remotes to video service providers.  As we move forward, there is certainly the option to work with other hardware partners."  Espial also intends to include Arris Market, a platform for WHS offered in partnership with Wurl that enables the integration of third-party apps such as Netflix.  "Our intent is to include Arris Market – with Wurl as a partner - for the WHS platform. We will aim to finalize the details around this in the days and weeks ahead as we work to close the deal," an Espial official said via email. 

Under this approach, the software component is being severed from the hardware, and Espial believes this will allow for the faster introduction of new apps and services for pay TV partners.

“In general, the [WHS] customer base would like to see faster feature innovation and, really, from an Arris, perspective, they felt that partnering with a company like us... is going to allow them to actually achieve that,” he said, noting that Arris will serve as the “primary distribution channel” for the offering, though Espial will also pursue direct deals.  

Once the deal is wrapped up, Espial will push forward with a cloud-hosted “video-as-a-service” solution that will also seek to integrate G4, its new set-top software client for devices that run the Reference Design Kit and other platforms. By pairing its software with hardware from Arris and others, Espial will be pitching a platform that can spur IP video migrations.

“Some operators in the market have expressed a desire to have a turn-key, prepackaged, next-generation video solution that can be managed by a supplier,” he said. “Service providers are eager for an accelerated software roadmap.”

While a turn-key offering reduces the amount of customization an operator has, the advantages include faster time-to-market as well as lower capital and operational costs, Dolvane said.

Of course, Espial will be far from alone in pursuing deals aimed at helping cable operators and other MVPDs make the transition to IP and offer a servcie that blends their pay TV services with OTT fare. 

Among them, Evolution Digital is trying to do the same with independent operators via its eVUE-TV platform. Comcast, meanwhile, has been pushing a strategy to syndicate and license its X1 platform, though most of its early traction in this area has been with larger operators such as Cox Communications and Shaw Communications.

Amping up competition with traditional MVPDs and new over-the-top rivals, NOS, a primary cable operator in Portugal, has launched a premium video platform that supports 4K video and a cloud interface that is underpinned by the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software platform for IP-capable set-tops and gateways that’s managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications (via the latter's recent aquisition of Time Warner Cable).

NOS, which has more than 1.5 million video subs, is implementing Espial’s G4 set-top box cleint, a 4K hybrid IP box from Arris (the ZD4500) that runs the Broadcom 7251S chipset, Nagra’s anyCAST Connect content protection platform, and Nuance’s Dragon TV voice navigation system. Espial also handled the system integration for the new platform.

Espial said the offering, which lets NOS users personalize the experience down to the individual viewer, marks Europe’s first deployemnt of the RDK 2.1 environment, and enables the integration of live, VOD, OTT, catch-up and cloud DVR content via a unifed interface.

Among traditional competitors, NOS will use the new premium service to tangle with Portugal Telecom, the Altice-owned telco, and Vodafone. NOS is also seeing increased pressure from Netflix, which launched service in that country last fall.

“Our true competition is starting to appear through the Internet, through the web offers of players like Netflix, and we needed to be prepared,” Pedro Bandiera, head of development at NOS, explained in this video about the rollout, which also explores some of the personalized recommendations supported by the service, its integrated voice navigation system, and a fast channel-change (300 milliseconds) capability.   

NOS, which also offers a satellite TV service in areas where it doesn’t run a service on an HFC network, is booting up consumer marketing around the new premium offering during the weekend, and is making a more formal announcement about it today.

NOS will also offer a growing mix of 4K fare that includes rights to several matches from the 2016 UEFA European Championship and coverage of the NOS Alive music and arts festival.

NOS’s deployment is a signficant win for the RDK, which continues to seek adoption by pay TV providers around the globe, announcing in May that more than 15 million devices are now running the platform and that its membership has pushed past 275 companies, a group that includes more than 25 pay TV operators.

Espial, an Ottawa-based company that introduced its G4 set-top client in May 2015, is also working closely with Tele Columbus, a German MSO that is developing a new platform that will also be powered by the RDK. Tele Columbus conducted a field trial earlier thisyear and expects to launch its new platform commercially later this year.

“We absolutely have seen an increased level of interest from operators” in the RDK and G4, including in Europe and the Asia Pacific region, Jeff Huppertz, Espial’s vice president of marketing and business development, said, noting that the company generated significant interest in those technologies during the recent INTX show in Boston.

“We congratulate the exceptional work of NOS and Espial,” Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK Management, in a statement. “NOS’ deployment of the RDK software framework allows everyone to focus more of their efforts on developing the kinds of compelling consumer-facing applications and user experience showcased by this deployment.”

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In the weeks before Charter Communications wrapped up its acquisitions of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, the operator was well down the road of identifying who will lead New Charter across key areas, including technology.

The new structure of the MSO offers some insights into Charter’s technology plans going forward, but still leaves some questions unanswered, including its future plans involving the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack that’s been managed by Comcast, TWC and Liberty Global.

Leading New Charter’s technology organization is Jim Blackley, the former Cablevision Systems exec who joined Charter in 2012, reuniting him with former Cablevision chief operating officer and current Charter CEO Tom Rutledge.

SEVEN DEPARTMENTS

Per a memo distributed internally in March and obtained by Multichannel News, Blackley noted that the MSO’s new tech organization would consist of seven departments: Information Technology, Advanced Engineering, Software Architecture, Software Development, Technology Services, Chief Scientist and Wireless Technology.

“My goal over the next 18 months is to consolidate all of the Advanced Engineering, Technology Services, Software Architecture and Software Development in Denver,” Blackley wrote, adding that Denver will also serve as the hub for the MSO’s Product Development organization. Blackley added that Charter’s IT division currently resides in St. Louis and will retain a “significant” presence there as well as in Charlotte, N.C.

At the time, Blackley also identified several executives who will report to him and lead the new technology organization at Charter:

• Jay Carlson was named senior vice president and chief information officer, information technology, heading up the design, development, testing and operation of IT.

• Jay Rolls will serve as senior vice president and chief technology officer, advanced engineering. for Charter.

• Jake Perlman, late of Bright House Networks, is to serve as senior vice president of software development, responsible for agile software development for customer-facing features, systems and products.

• Marti Moore, vice president of technology services at the combined company, is to head up integration planning, cross-functional program management and integrated release management and testing for “large, complex technology programs.”

• Craig Cowden, another former Bright House exec, is staying on in a newly created role of senior vice president, wireless technology. Cowden is on board to oversee Charter’s wireless and WiFi Advanced Engineering Team.

Blackley’s memo also named Rob Martell as New Charter’s senior vice president of software architecture. However, Martell is no longer with Charter, the operator confirmed. Charter has yet to announce who will take that role.

Charter declined to comment beyond the content contained in the information distributed internally a few weeks ago.

Blackley also identified other key roles in the new technology group that were still open, including a senior vice president of advanced engineering — TWC, who will head up network data and voice engineering capabilities and engineering for new network and product technology; and an SVP and chief scientist who will head up research and development for future data, video and voice products and oversee the MSO’s patent review and application process.

LINGERING RDK QUESTIONS

Before the deal closed, Charter had been clear about its plans for video: It intends to extend the strategy underway in its legacy markets to the newly acquired TWC and Bright House systems. The plan there, in part, is to roll out a new cloud-based guide on older, non-IP set-tops as well as new IP-capable “Worldbox” devices that run a downloadable video security platform.

A good portion of that work centers on a cloud-based platform from ActiveVideo, a vendor that is now owned by Arris and Charter via a joint venture formed in mid-2015. That set-up will also help Charter complement its core pay TV service with integrated over-the-top services.

Charter’s plan also centers on the use of two-way, interactive set-tops at every outlet, and the company plans to phase out one-way Digital Transport Adapters (DTAs) that Time Warner Cable deployed to accelerate its all-digital transition.

Charter’s current plan of attack with video opens up the question of whether the MSO will lend its support to the RDK, which creates a unified stack for IP-capable set-tops and gateways and, more recently, for broadband modems and gateways.

RDK Management, the entity that manages the stack, is run by a joint venture of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global. TWC’s position in the venture transferred to Charter via the acquisition.

Charter confirmed last year that it had licensed the RDK and had established two parallel development tracks: one that centers on its current technical approach and another based on the RDK.

Charter did not comment further on its current RDK plans. But multiple industry sources said the MSO is more interested in supporting RDK-B, which focuses on broadband devices, than it will be for the video-focused RDK-V, in part because the operator is wary of having to support too many different varieties of set-top boxes.

But if Charter decides not to pursue an RDK strategy at the set-top level, it could miss out on the scale benefits that such a strategy could provide.

Comcast and Liberty Global, the world’s largest cable operators, are of course firmly on board with RDK, but so is Cox Communications, which has licensed X1 for the next generation of its “Contour” video platform for set-tops and mobile devices. Shaw Communications has also licensed X1, but has limited its early use to a mobile app. Even a telco, CenturyLink Communications, has said it was evaluating RDK for a new video platform that’s under development.

Heading into the recent INTX in Boston, RDK Management announced that more than 15 million devices were running the RDK, and that about 275 multichannel video programming distributors, consumer electronics manufacturers, chipmakers, software developers and systems integrators had licensed the RDK. As a subset of that group, more than 25 cable, satellite and telco service operators around the world have licensed it, though not all have committed to deploying it.

Get more #INTX2016 news.

Tightening its technology ties to a major pay TV joint venture, Cadent Technology, a new ad-tech unit that merged the teams of BlackArrow and Cadent Network, said it has licensed the Reference Design Kit (RDK).

The move positions the ad-tech company to support the RDK, a preintegrated software platform that’s managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global, which also happen to be some of Cadent’s largest customers.

Cadent Technology recently complemented its on-demand advertising platform with one that supports addressable linear TV.

As for the RDK, Cadent said its primarily focus is on Linear Segmented Advertising that inserts targeted ads into live and time-shifted experiences on the RDK-V (Video) software.

RDK Management announced earlier this week that more than 15 million devices are running the RDK, and that its licensee base now spans more than 275 partners, including north of 25 cable, satellite and telco service operators.

“It’s an exciting time to join the RDK community,” Stephanie Mitchko-Beale, Cadent’s COO and CTO, said in a statement. “The RDK’s standardized stack and collaborative methodology help us develop advanced advertising solutions that can be seamlessly integrated into our customers’ existing infrastructure.”

Get more #INTX2016 news.

RDK Management, the joint venture of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global, said it has made progress with deployments and the number of companies in the U.S. and abroad that have signed on licensees for the preintegrated software platform for IP-capable set-tops and, more recently, broadband gateways.

Of the platform’s flavors, RDK-V provides a common method to manage various video functions on set-top boxes such as tuning, IP video, third party DRM, and media streaming/DLNA, and RDK-B provides common methods to manage complex broadband functions such as home-networking interfaces, including WiFi and Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), wide area networking, local area networking, device management and diagnostics, as well as smart home/Internet of Things and multicast video.

Per the J.V., more than 15 million devices are now running the RDK, a number that has tripled since last year’s INTX confab in Chicago. Among distributors, Comcast is using the RDK to power X1, its next-gen video platform. Last month, Comcastestimated that nearly 35% of its 22.4 million video subs are now on X1, and that it added 1.1 million X1 subs to the mix in Q1, a 53% increase on net adds versus the year-ago quarter.

As another recent example, Cox Communications is also using the RDK for a new Contour multiscreen service that relies on X1. RDK-backer Liberty Global is using the platform in the current version of its Horizon TV service.

RDK Management also announced that licensees of the platform have grown to more than 275 across MVPDs, consumer electronics manufacturers, chipmakers, software developers and systems integrators.  More than 25 cable, satellite and telco service operators in North America, Europe, Latin  America and Asia are among those licensees.

“2016 is going to be a great year for the RDK community,” said Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK Management, said in a statement. “On the video front, more operators across North America and Europe are developing and deploying products using an RDK-based software solution for STB’s, RDK-V (video). On the broadband front, we have recently made a new RDK software solution available for broadband gateways called RDK-B (broadband), which is in use by leading SoC and CPE suppliers, and making its way onto software roadmaps of operators around the globe.”

“It’s well known that our X1 set-tops rely on the RDK-V software solution,” added Sree Kotay, executive vice president and chief software architect, Comcast Cable. “What is less known is just how far we have come with RDK-B over the past year. We already have the RDK-B software solution enabled in broadband gateways in subscribers’ homes today, and RDK-B will serve as the underlying software on our broadband devices going forward.” 

“Liberty Global has deployed an RDK-V solution to power our Horizon service, and those deployments continue to scale across our global footprint,” said Bill Warga, Vice President of Technology at Liberty Global.  “We also recognized that broadband devices, similar to STBs, would greatly benefit from having more software commonality, standardization, and openness. We are very strong proponents of RDK-B, and we look forward to working with the RDK community to drive its adoption even further.”

“Progressive operators are investing in a new class of home networking equipment capable of supporting higher speeds, more end-user devices, and array of new services,” said Keith Wehmeyer, general manager for the cable business Line of Intel’s Connected Home Division. “We look forward to working with operators and equipment manufacturers implementing the RDK and have integrated the RDK-B solution onto Intel  Puma chipsets to address the next generation needs of broadband operators.”

Looking ahead, RDK Management plans to host a Tech Summit for licensees in Louisville, Colo., from July 19-21, a has teed up the RDK European Summit for operators in Amsterdam in tandem with IBC from September 8-12.

SeaChange International has paid $8 million in cash to acquire DCC Labs, a Warsaw, Poland-based software developer and integrator for set-tops and multiscreen devices that, SeaChange said, will also strengthen its Reference Design Kit (RDK) product strategy.

SeaChange said it closed the deal on May 6 and expects DCC Labs to contribute “an additional several million dollars of revenue annually,” with an anticipated one-year payback through synergies and cost savings that SeaChange will begin to realize immediately. The transaction also includes a lock-up provision for the SeaChange stock that unwinds over a three-year period, the company said.

It said the deal will also help SeaChange to optimize the operations of its In Home business, which includes the SeaChange Nucleus home video gateway. DCC Labs has also developed a  software stack for Europe’s DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) community and an HTML5 framework for user interfaces.

In conjunction with the acquisition, SeaChange said it has also started a workforce reduction within its In Home engineering and services organization that aims to achieve $8 million in annualized cost savings. DCC Labs CEO Marek Kielczewski, meanwhile, has joined SeaCahnge as SVP of consumer premises equipment software and will lead the SeaChange In Home division.

Shiva Patibanda, formerly CTO and GM of in-home products at SeaChange, left the company last year and recently joined Ericsson’s TV and media group.

SeaChange said DCC Labs has more than 70 engineers and has won projects supporting millions of set-tops, mobile devices and smart TVs, and has development expertise that includes Android and  Linux operating systems as well as the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for set-tops and broadband devices that’s managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global.

SeaChange and DCC Labs have a business history, as SeaChange engaged with the Warsaw-based company last year to support a major set-top development project for a “large European cable operator” that resulted in deployment of a user interface and an RDK 2.1-based home video gateway for field trial tests within four months of the initial engagement. SeaChange said it also tapped DCC Labs to assist with improving quality and providing enhancements for another European cable operator’s deployed home video gateway.

“Through our successful collaboration in the field, SeaChange determined that DCC Labs’ experience and strengths are exceptionally well-aligned with our strategy to operate more efficiently and rapidly roll out high-value, front-end product innovations,” Ed Terino, the company’s recently named CEO, said in a statement. “SeaChange is now better positioned to serve the global RDK licensee community, as well as fulfilling service providers’ growing desire to focus on a select set of vendors to support their video infrastructure from the back-end all the way through to set-tops, mobile devices and the subscriber experience.”

Metrological, a TV apps company based in the Netherlands, teed up plans for next week’s INTX event in Boston that will focus on a device and software “agnostic” application platform that will include ways for operators to use open source browser technology to boost app performance and to create next-gen user interfaces.

Metrological (booth 1641) noted that it will demo “contextual” app experiences that merge live TV and over-the-top content, enabling operators to present a unified app that mixes all content types on one screen.

Also on show will be an app store that allows MSOs and other partners to launch device-independent, operator-branded TV app stores on set-tops and other connected devices. The company said more than 300 apps are available to operators that tap into Metrological’s Application Platform.

Also on show will be its Dashboard, which provides real‐time business intelligence and analytics for operators and content providers, and an App Manager, that helps operators monetize OTT content and personalize the scheduling of content. For example, daytime programming can highlight children’s apps while evening hours can highlight news app content.

Last year, Metrological announced that Liberty Global and Comcast were using a new, open-source browser enhancements for set-tops that rely on the RDK software stack. Metrological and RDK Management LLC, the joint venture of Comcast, Liberty Global and Time Warner Cable, introduced an RDK App Emulator last year.

Big Data firm Guavus apparently has some big plans involving the Reference Design Kit, the preintegrated software stack for IP-capable set-tops and gateways that’s being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Time Warner Cable.

Guavus said it has joined a large group of companies to license to RDK, noting that it will use that to bring its data analytics apps and capabilities to the platform, which, for example, is already a key component of Comcast’s X1 platform as well as devices that run the “new” Contour, a platform being rolled out by Cox Communications that is underpinned by X1.

Guavus said its analytics products can help partners improve operations, service assurance and customer care, and believes its involvement in RDK can play a role in accelerating the product cycle.

“One of the key benefits of RDK is the volume of CPE performance data that can be gathered from the field,” Steve Heeb, president and GM of RDK Management, said in a statement. “By collecting and analyzing this data, operators can quicken the pace for targeted product releases. We are very pleased to welcome Guavus to the RDK Community.”

“Customer experience is fast becoming the most important end product for operators,” added Gabriele Di Piazza, SVP products and marketing for Guavus. “The role of collaborative and cross functional decision making enabled by real-time analytics aligns with the fundamental goal in the RDK community, which is to deliver an agile infrastructure for delivering next-gen products at web speed.”  

Guavus joins a group of more than 250 companies that have licensed the RDK, spanning set-top makers, chipmakers, software developers, system integrators and network operators. 

Metrological, a TV apps specialist based in the Netherlands, is applying more focus on the Americas regions with the hiring of Greg Riker, an industry vet who is late of ActiveVideo, the cloud video company acquired last year via a joint venture of Arris and Charter Communications.

Riker joins Metrological as senior vice president of sales, Americas. He’ll be based in Denver and be responsible for expanding the company’s existing sales and business development activities, and for pursuing strategic partnerships.

 Prior to this post, Riker was SVP of sales for cloud video solutions at Arris, and, before that, was SVP, worldwide sales at ActiveVideo, and held a similar role at Synacor.

Last year ,Metrological announced that Liberty Global and Comcast were using a new, open-source browser enhancements designed to provide a performance boost to IP-based services and apps for set-tops that rely on the RDK software stack. RDK Management LLC, the RDK joint venture, and Metrologicalintroduced the RDK App Emulator last year.

“Greg is an energetic and tremendously talented sales executive with deep experience in partnering with service providers to bring new media technologies to market,”Jeroen Ghijsen, CEO of Metrological, said in a statement. “At Metrological, we strongly believe apps and OTT should be integrated with the TV viewing experience, allowing for better search and offering contextual programming without leaving the main screen. We look forward to working with Greg to continue our commitment to making the app world work for the entire ecosystem of consumers, service providers and content owners.”

AirTies Wireless Networks, a vendor that makes whole-home WiFi systems and set-tops, has licensed the Reference Design Kit (RDK), a software platform for set-tops and broadband equipment being managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global.

AirTies said it is licensing the preintegrated software stack in support of RDK-B, a version that supports STBs as well as broadband devices. Midcontinent Communications (now known as Midco) is AirTies’s first announced North American MSO customer; it’s offering a whole-home WiFi product that uses AirTies’s Air 4920 access points and its WiFi Smart Mesh and Client Steering technology.  

AirTies said it has trials underway with other, unnamed mid-sized and large service providers in the U.S. Other AirTies customers include Sky, Vodafone, Singtel, and Swisscom, among others. 

Though smart whole-home  WiFi is key to AirTies’s gameplan for the U.S. cable market, one of its IP set-tops recently passed through the FCC, according to The Donohue Report.

“We’re excited to join the growing RDK community, especially as it turns its attention to new broadband equipment in the home,” Bulent Celebi, executive chairman and founder of AirTies, said in a statement. “We look forward to evaluating how RDK-B can fit into our future plans, and sharing our expertise in ultra-performance Wi-Fi solutions with RDK operators and partners.”  

“AirTies is well respected for providing next-gen in-home Wi-Fi systems to global operators, so we are very pleased to welcome them into the RDK community,” added Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK Management LLC. “As interest in RDK-B grows, we’re confident that innovative companies, such as AirTies, can play an important role in delivering significant benefits to RDK-based operators.”  

The RDK is supported by more than 250 companies including CE manufacturers, SOCs vendors, software developers, system integrators, and network operators. 

Arris said it has begun to deploy a new DOCSIS 3.0-powered gateway with Comcast that supports 802.11ac WiFi, IP video and integrated home automation and security, and represents a component of the MSO’s new “XB3” service.

The Arris TG1682 can bond 24 downstream channels (enough to support bursts of up to 960 Mbps in North American DOCSIS systems that use 6MHz-wide channels), two analog voice lines, a four-port Gigabit router, MoCA 2.0, and and a dual-band 802.11ac WiFi access point.

The deployment announcement comes almost a year after Comcast and Arris said they would collaborate on a trial of a broadband-enabled version of the Reference Design Kit (RDK) running on the Arris TG1682. The RDK, a preintegrated software stack originally developed for video set-tops and gateways, is being extended (via a project commonly referred to as “RDK-B”) to support DOCSIS-based broadband modems and all-service gateways.

"We are committed to providing our customers with the best, fastest in-home Wifi experience, and the XB3 is a powerful tool for delivering on that commitment," Ken Klaer, SVP of premises technologies at Comcast, said in a statement. "ARRIS has been a valuable partner in our effort to continually evolve the high-speed data experience for our customers."

"We are pleased to work with Comcast to launch the TG1682 as part of their XB3 service," added Larry Robinson, president, customer premises equipment at Arris.

"We are committed to continue introducing additional advanced broadband devices based on this new software ecosystem to make our customers more competitive. We will continue to invest in these solutions during this very exciting and dynamic time in the industry."

S3 Group said it has struck a deal to sell its TV technology division, which includes its StormTest automated testing platform, to Accenture.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed, but Accenture said it will integrate S3 TV Technology’s StormTest platform with Accenture Digital Video Services, a unit that’s part of the company’s communications, media and technology group.

The acquisition should also boost Accenture’s profile with respect to the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for IP-capable set-tops and gateways that’s being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Time Warner Cable. In 2013, S3 Group was tapped to oversee RDK Management LLC’s code management function, ensuring that contributions to the common code base are properly assessed, merged and tested before becoming part of RDK releases. S3 TV Technology is the unit of S3 Group that has been managing that key piece for the RDK. According  to a spokesperson, RDK Mananagement LLC looks forward to its relationship with Accenture

S3’s known customers from the pay TV world include Sky (UK), Astro, BT, Comcast, Kabel Deutschland, Liberty Global, Mediacom Communications, RDK Management, Swisscom, Time Warner Cable, Videotron, and Starman, a TV and Internet provider in the Baltic region.

“I believe that Accenture will provide an excellent new home for our TV Technology business and its people, and I wish them continued success into the future” John O’Brien, CEO of Ireland-based S3 Group, said in a statement.  “This announcement highlights S3 Group’s strategy and ability to create high-growth, market-focused businesses. We continue this exciting journey with our expanding Connected Health and Semiconductor Solutions businesses, and the creation of new businesses in the future.”

Mooreland Partners has acted as exclusive financial advisor to S3 Group.

Tele Columbus, a German cable operator with about 2.8 million subs, work with Espial on a next-gen, IP-powered video platform that will lean on the Reference Design Kit (RDK), a preintegated software stack for IP-capable devices that’s being managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global.

Under the deal, Tele Columbus will license Espial’s G4 set-top client and Media Services Platform (MSP) backoffice, and tap Espial to integrate the MSO’s next-gen IP video platform. Espial’s role on the set-top box (Tele Columbus has not announced its STB suppliers for the project) will include the resulting platform’s user interface, according to Jeff Huppertz, Espial’s vice president of marketing and business development.

Tele Columbus, which grew in size when it acquired PrimaCom Holding earlier this year, is expected to start trials on the new platform later this year, and follow with full deployments sometime in early 2016.

Huppertz said Tele Columbus’s approach follows a trend/new model in which the operator separates the hardware from the software and develops UIs using a third-party design partner. He said Espial’s platform, which uses HTML5, will position Tele Columbus to provide an advanced platform on set-tops as well as mobile devices.

Ottawa-based Espial introduced G4 in May. It’s a fourth-gen set-top client can be applied not just to cable operators, but to telcos, satellite TV providers and other type of operators looking to provide a unified offering that blends on-demand, linear and OTT content. At the time, Espial said three operators, including one “major” MSO in North America and two in Western Europe, had selected G4 for their next-gen video platform. Those three operators have about 8 million subs between them.

The Espial G4 STB Client, Espial Media Service Platform and the Espial Experience professional services team were selected based on their industry leading software and expertise in RDK and user experience,” Ronny Verhelst, CEO of  Tele Columbus, said in a statement.

Tuesday’s announcement is Tele Columbus’s first public acknowledgement that it will use the RDK for its next-gen platform, and is an example of the platform’s progress outside the U.S.

RDK Development LLC has more than 25 MVPD licensees around the world. In addition to Tele Columbus, known MVPD licensees include Comcast, TWC, Liberty  Global, CenturyLink, Charter Communications, Rogers Communications, Kabel Deutschland, and Japan’s J:COM.

Shaw Communications of Canada is bagging an original plan to develop an IPTV service to instead try out X1, Comcast’s IP-capable video platform that uses a cloud-based interface for set-tops and mobile devices.

Shaw revealed plans to move ahead on a trial of Comcast’s platform Thursday in its fiscal third quarter earnings statement, which also noted that the Canadian MSO is taking a $55 million write-down of IPTV assets following its decision to abandon the original plan. Shaw said that it started to deploy an end-to-end IPTV solution in 2013, but paused in late 2014 to conduct a review and to assess other options. 

“We are always exploring new ways to enhance our video experience and deliver next-generation services to our customers,” Shaw CEO Brad Shaw said, in a statement. “We are currently working with Comcast to begin a technical trial of their cloud-based X1 platform and be the first in Canada to capitalize on Comcast’s cloud technology. X1 offers customers a seamless experience across multiple screens and devices both in and out of the home.”

If Shaw -- which lost 24,524 cable video subs in its fiscal Q3, giving it 1.88 million -- decides to move forward with X1 on a commercial basis, it would mark a significant win for Comcast’s X1 licensing efforts, which were expected to pick up steam after Comcast walked away from its proposed merger with Time Warner Cable in April.

Before it tried to buy TWC, Comcast had seemed eager to license X1 to other operators, but those conversations appeared to slow after Comcast and Time Warner Cable announced the proposed merger. With TWC now out of the M&A mix at Comcast (Charter Communications is now trying to buy TWC), Comcast is expected to seek licencing deals that could help it drive more scale into the X1 platform and the devices that  power it.

A commercial deployment by Shaw would also serve as welcome news to RDK Management LLC, the joint venture of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global that is managing the Reference Design Kit (RDK), a preintegrated software stack for IP and hybrid QAM/IP devices. Comcast's X1 platform uses the RDK. 

Shaw, which also offers satellite TV services to about 851,569 subscribers, is the second MSO to publicize its interest in licensing X1.

Cox Communications has been kicking the tires on X1 as it pursues a next-generation “future-state” video project. Kevin Hart, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Cox, said in an interview in April that the MSO has completed a successful technical lab trial with X1. A Cox spokesman said then that the next step would be to test X1 with Cox employees.

“We've also made very good progress from the technical trial [with X1] and have the platform up and working properly, so that has great promise,” Hart said at the time.. “We're also looking at two or three other platforms with some other providers in the industry.”

Shaw joins a growing list of Canadian MSOs that have scotched their original IPTV plans. In 2014, Cogeco was hit with an impairment of C$32.2 million tied to an alternative IPTV project that encountered “performance issues.” Cogeco abandoned that plan and instead moved forward on a deal with TiVo.

Video software and TV apps specialist Metrological said its RDK App Emulator has tested and certified more than 250 apps for set-tops and other devices that run the Reference Design Kit, the preintegrated software stack for hybrid and IP-only boxes and gateways being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Time Warner Cable.

RDK Management LLC, the RDK joint venture, and Metrological introduced the RDK App Emulator in April. Metrological combined its application framework with the RDK to create the app emulator, which enables developers to prototype, create and test RDK apps remotely on a laptop without the need for a physical RDK device or set-top box. 

Al Jazeera and Euroenews are among the content developers that have downloaded Metrological’s RDK App Emulator. 

Certification means those apps are deemed deployment-ready for the RDK platform.

Update: A Metrological official said that apps that have been certified for RDK span gaming, weather, social media and news, and include YouTube and Facebook. 

“It has been extremely valuable to affirm that apps are running smoothly on the RDK set-top box software stack without needing modifications or adjustments,” said Albert Dahan, co-founder and CTO of Metrological, in a statement. “We are very pleased to offer this testing tool to the video development community. Open technologies like the RDK, are changing the pace of innovation, opening up development of video services to any developer at web deployment speed.” 

S3 Group said it has been selected by Kabel Deutschland, the largest cable operator in Germany, to automate the testing of multiscreen services across consumer premises equipment platforms, including Apple iOS and Google’s Android OS devices.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed, but Kabel Deutschland will use S3’s StormTest Development Center to integrate the testing of its TV services, including mobile video applications into its test framework.

S3 said the agreement announced Tuesday, made in concert with this week’s ANGA COM conference in Cologne, marks an expansion of the use of Development Center in Kabel Deutschland.

“Subscribers want a great user experience, regardless of the device being used. By integrating all devices into our existing test framework Kabel Deutschland will be able to test feature updates and new services faster,” said Bernd Hansen, Teamleiter Service Management at Kabel Deutschland, in a statement. “In particular, mobile video application testing with StormTest will give us a reliable, repeatable, and automated method to assure the quality of multiscreen user experience.”

“The modern television experience is now inherently multiscreen,” added John Maguire, chief strategy officer, TV Technology, at S3 Group. “This is challenging contemporary service delivery methods, requiring more efficient processes, and agile development methods. With StormTest Development Center we will enable Kabel Deutschland to deliver new services and features at Internet speed.”

Kabel Deutschland is also a licencee of the Reference Design Kit, the preintegrated software stack for IP and hybrid QAM/IP set-tops and gateways being managed by Comcast, Liberty Global and Time Warner Cable.  RDK Management is using S3 to oversee its code management function. 

In addition to KD, S3 Group’s customers include Astro, BT, Comcast, Liberty Global, Mediacom, RDK Management LLC, Sky, Swisscom, Time Warner Cable, and Videotron, among others. 

CenturyLink has turned up its IP-delivered Prism TV service in Salt Lake City, where it will now compete for video subs with incumbent cable op Comcast and DirecTV and Dish Network (and Sling TV).  Google Fiber is also getting ready to launch its mix of 1-Gig and pay TV services in the Salt Lake City area.

CenturyLink said the launch of Prism TV in Salt Lake City follows its deployment last year of fiber-fed 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) broadband to residential and business customers in Salt Lake City and other Utah communities.

The launch follows a recent Prism TV debut in Portland, Ore., where CenturyLink also faces off with Comcast. Prism TV, which features a wireless set-top box, whole-home DVR, access to a mobile TV Everywhere app, and VOD, has also been launched in La Crosse, Wis.; Columbia and Jefferson City, Mo.; Tallahassee, Fla. (and areas covering central and southwest Florida; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Omaha, Neb.; Denver, Colorado Springs, and Highlands Ranch, Colo.

CenturyLink added 8,000 Prism TV subs in the first quarter of 2015, ending the quarter with more than 249,000 -- a penetration rate of 10.2%. The company also added 73,000 homes to its addressable TV footprint in the quarter, expanding that total to 2.4 million.  CenturyLink expects to expand Prism TV to about 425,000 additional homes through the rest of 2015.

Prism TV currently uses the Ericsson Mediaroom platform, but is developing a next-gen video platform that is including an evaluation of the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for IP-capable set-tops and gateways that’s being managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global, in the process. 

"Prism TV is different from other television services in Salt Lake City. It delivers a digital connection to the home, providing a combination of interactive features, a wireless set-top box and a large selection of HD channels," said Jeremy Ferkin, CenturyLink’s vice president of Utah operations, in a statement. “Prism TV service is complemented by our aggressive fiber broadband deployment in Utah that includes Internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per second."

In case you haven’t heard, scale is now the name of the game.

In a deal that puts it squarely in the cable tech sector, Avago Technologies said will acquire Broadcom for $37 billion, including $17 billion in cash and the economic equivalent of 140 million Avago ordinary shares valued at $20 million.

Under the deal, Broadcom shareholders are poised to own about 32% of the combined company, which will be named Broadcom Limited.  

In addition to adding Broadcom’s wireless technology and expertise, Avago, which is incorporated in Singapore, also stands to become a major player in cable, as Broadcom is a top supplier of set-top box chips, including those based on the Reference Design Kit and that integrate Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) capabilities, and silicon that powers DOCSIS-based cable modems and gateways, as well as DSL and fiber-to-the-home equipment.  

With respect to DOCSIS, Broadcom is one of three chipmakers known to be developing modem chips for DOCSIS 3.1, the emerging CableLabs-specified platform that will bring multi-gigabit speeds to HFC networks. Intel, which acquired Texas Instruments’ cable modem business in 2010, and STMicroelectronics are the other two that are working on D3.1-based chips. Broadcom unveiled at D3.1-based reference design, the BCM93390, in January.

Avago estimates that the deal, which will build on its wireless, enterprise storage and wired infrastructure chip business, will create a behemoth with a combined $77 billion enterprise value and combined annual revenues of about $15 billion. Avago estimates that the merger will also generate $750 million in annual cost synergies that can be achieved within 18 months. The deal is posed to be immediately accretive to non-GAAP earnings and free cash flow.

When the deal closes, Hock Tan, president and CEO of Avago, will serve in the same role at the combined company, which will be renamed Broadcom Limited. Dr. Henry Samueli, co-fonder and CTO and chairman of Broadcom, will join the board of and serve as CTO of the combined company. Dr. Henry T. Nicholas, co-Founder and past CEO of Broadcom, will serve in a strategic advisory role, reporting to Tan. They did not identify a post-closing role for Scott McGregor, Broadcom’s current president and CEO.

Avago and Broadcom said the deal has been unanimously approved by their respective boards and a special committee of the independent directors of Broadcom. They expect to deal to close before the end of Q1 2016.

"Today's announcement marks the combination of the unparalleled engineering prowess of Broadcom with Avago's heritage of technology from HP, AT&T, and LSI Logic, in a landmark transaction for the semiconductor industry," Tan said in a statement. "The combination of Avago and Broadcom creates a global diversified leader in wired and wireless communication semiconductors. Avago has established a strong track record of successfully integrating companies onto its platform. Together with Broadcom, we intend to bring the combined company to a level of profitability consistent with Avago's long-term target model."

"When Henry Nicholas and I founded Broadcom, we had a vision of creating the world leader in communications semiconductors. Today's announcement is a continuation of that vision and we could not think of a better partner for the future than Avago," added Samueli

"The culture that Henry and I created when we founded Broadcom was demanding, execution-oriented, and certainly not guaranteed to mesh with the average technology company," Nicholas said. "It was, however, a culture that enabled Broadcom to grow exponentially and emerge as the market leader in every major market segment involving broadband communications. In Avago, we have found a culture and a management team that embody the best of the philosophies on which Broadcom was founded, together with a fast-paced, no-nonsense, process-driven business culture that we need to take our combined company to the next level. I am confident that, under the visionary leadership of Hock Tan, the combined company will realize its potential to be the world's greatest semiconductor company."

CenturyLink has launched its IP-delivered Prism TV service to parts of Portland, Ore., where the telco will duke it out for video subs with Comcast and its X1 platform, as well as with DirecTV and Dish Network.

CenturyLink said Prism TV is currently available to Portland residents and businesses with fiber service in the Sunnyside, Hawthorne, Belmont, Richmond, Mt. Tabor, Kerns, Hosford-Abernethy, Creston-Kenilworth, Sellwood-Moreland, Buckman, Brooklyn and Laurelhurst neighborhoods, and has set up a Web site that allows customers to register and be notified when Prism TV is offered in their area. 

The Oregonian, which has created a map that tracks which portions of Portland are eligible for the fiber-fed service, noted that CenturyLink is also talking to local officials about expanding the service to Vancouver and Lake Oswego.

Prism TV features a wireless set-top box, whole-home DVR, access to a mobile TV Everywhere app, and VOD.

CenturyLink also offers IPTV services in La Crosse, Wis.; Columbia and Jefferson City, Mo.; Tallahassee, Fla. (and areas covering central and southwest Florida; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Omaha, Neb.; Denver, Colorado Springs, and Highlands Ranch, Colo.

CenturyLink added 8,000 Prism TV subs in the first quarter of 2015, ending the quarter with more than 249,000 -- a penetration rate of 10.2%. The company also added 73,000 homes to its addressable TV footprint in the quarter, expanding that total to 2.4 million.

CenturyLink expects to expand Prism TV to about 425,000 additional homes through the rest of 2015, company president and CEO Glen Post said on the company’s May 5 first quarter earnings call.

CenturyLink is currently using Ericsson Mediaroom (the IPTV platform Ericsson acquired from Microsoft in September 2013) to power Prism TV. The telco, however, is developing a next-gen video strategy, and, as part of that process, is evaluating the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for IP-capable set-tops and gateways that’s being managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global.

CenturyLink confirmed that it has licensed the Reference Design Kit (RDK), making it the first U.S. telco to affirm its interest in using a pre-integrated software stack for IP-capable and hybrid IP/QAM set-tops and gateways that’s being managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global.

“We are evaluating RDK and other platforms for CenturyLink’s next-generation video strategy,” a CenturyLink official said in an emailed statement, noting that the telco plans to share more on the project in “the coming months.”

CenturyLink currently runs its IP-based “Prism TV” service on Ericsson Mediaroom, the middleware platform Ericsson acquired from Microsoft in September 2013.

CenturyLink is using that platform, also in use by AT&T for its U-verse TV service, in several markets, including La Crosse, Wis.; Columbia and Jefferson City, Mo.; Tallahassee, Fla. (and areas covering central and southwest Florida; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Omaha, Neb.; Denver, Colorado Springs, and Highlands Ranch, Colo. CenturyLink ended 2014 with more than 240,000 Prism TV customers.

“We anticipate expanding Prism TV service to additional households and markets during the second half of 2015,” Glen Post, CenturyLink’s CEO, said in February during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call. Minneapolis is among the cities the telco is seeking TV franchises.

While CenturyLink has not made its final technology picks for its next-gen platform (Ericsson, the telco’s current partner, launched an upgraded, multiscreen-capable version of Mediaroom last fall), the RDK could enable CenturyLink to benefit from the scale the RDK ecosystem represents.

RDK Management announced last week that more than 220 companies have licensed the stack. That group includes a mix of CE manufacturers, chipmakers, software developers, system integrators and pay TV operators. Of the latter group, 25 are cable operators, telcos and satellite TV service providers. Known service provider licensees include Comcast, TWC, Liberty Global, Rogers Communications, Kabel Deutschland, and Japan’s J:COM.

CenturyLink also has some familiarity with the group that’s managing the RDK. Aamir Hussain, named CenturyLink’s executive vice president and chief technology officer last fall, most recently served as Liberty Global’s managing director and CTO for Europe.

For more detail on the status and direction of the RDK, please see a Q&A in this week’s edition of Multichannel News (pgs. A6-A8 of the INTX: Focus on Tech supplement) with Steve Heeb, the Comcast executive who was named president and general manager of RDK Management in September 2013.

Espial, a supplier of video software and user interface technologies, has launched G4, a fourth-gen set-top box client for cable operators, telcos, satellite TV and other types of video service providers that can weave together linear, on-demand and Internet-based content into a uniform interface.

G4, the Ottawa-based company said, can integrate third-party recommendation engines and run on most set-top box platforms, including devices outfitted with the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for IP and QAM/IP hybrid set-tops and gateways that’s being managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global.

Three unnamed operators – one “major” MSO in North America and two in Western Europe -- have selected G4 for their next-gen video platform, Jeff Huppertz, Espial’s vice president of marketing and business development, said. All three operators in question have at least 1.5 million subs, and about 8 million between them, he said, noting that they are also discussing G4 implementations on the RDK.  

Of Espial’s trio of MSO customers committed to G4, the one in North America is tapping the platform to power an new all-IP platform, while the two in Europe will use it for their respective hybrid QAM/IP networks.

Operators, Huppertz said, can use the HTML5-powered G4 platform to develop and roll out fluid, customized interfaces, and continue to add and tweak the look and capabilities of the interface.

“The operator owns the look and the experience…and making changes to [the UI] is as easy as changing Web pages,” Huppertz said, noting that pay TV operators have been stepping up their video interface development amid over-the-top competition and as programmers continue to enhance their own apps and launch or develop new stand-alone services.

But Espial has plenty of competition, including TiVo, which has had success with mid-sized tier 1s in the U.S. and some major ones in Europe, as well as from the operators themselves – Comcast and Charter Communications, for example, have developed next-gen video platforms largely through in-house projects. Time Warner Cable has also developed a cloud-based interface based on HTML5 that will run on the RDK.

Huppertz said the addressable market for G4 includes operators of all sizes that are still developing next-gen video strategies. “We think it’s a wide-open opportunity,” he said.

While G4 is a set-top box-focused client, Espial’s also has solutions operators can tap into to bring similar experiences to multiscreen devices.

Founded in 1997, Espial posted 2014 revenues of $20 million, a year-on-year increase of 59%. Mike Hayashi, the long-time TWC engineering exec who announced his retirement last year, recently joined the Espial board of directors.

Advanced advertising company Visible World said it will use next week’s INTX show in Chicago to demo a household addressable TV ad application for a set-top running the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for IP-capable set-top boxes and gateways.

Visible World, a company that’s rumored to be an acquisition target of Comcast, said the demo will show how the system can switch between video streams  in tandem with household-based addressable TV advertising. Visible World, an official noted, said the spots for the demo will be delivered via IP using the DOCSIS 3.0 model built into the RDK-based set-top. 

"RDK enables MVPDs to easily customize applications that can enhance viewer experience and serve as a powerful platform to accelerate the growth in deployment of Household Addressable TV Advertising,” Seth Haberman, founder and CEO of Visible  World, said in a statement. “Our new application makes TV advertising more relevant for viewers, as well as more valuable for advertisers and MVPDs."

“Visible World aims to leverage the advantages that the RDK provides in product development cycles and post-deployment in terms of speed to market and innovation,” added Gerrit Niemeijer, Visible World’s CTO.

RDK Management, a joint venture of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global, announced earlier this week that more than 220 companies, including a group of 25 made up of cable operators, telcos and satellite TV service providers, have licensed the Reference Design Kit. Those licensees also include a mix of CE manufacturers, chipmakers, software developers, and system integrators.

More than 220 companies, including a group of 25 made up of cable operators, telcos and satellite TV service providers, have licensed the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for IP-capable set-top boxes, video gateways and, soon, broadband devices.

RDK Management, the joint venture of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global, announced the updated figures Monday (April 27) ahead of next week’s INTX: The Internet & Television Expo in Chicago.

RDK Management said community membership and operator licensees have grown about 60% over the past 12 months. More than 5 million devices with RDK have been deployed so far. The bulk of that total has come way of Comcast and its X1 platform .

RDK licensees include a mix of CE manufacturers, chipmakers, software developers, system integrators and pay TV operators. Of the latter group, Comcast, TWC, Liberty Global, Rogers Communications, Kabel Deutschland, and J:COM are among the known MSOs to license the RDK. RDK Management said providers from North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia have all inked licenses.

Expanding beyond the initial video-centric set-top box solution (RDK-V), companies backing RDK are developing a version for broadband devices called RDK-B.  RDK-B is currently being developed by “key” operators, SoC companies and OEM companies, with an anticipated release in the second half of 2015, RDK Management said

“The RDK provides a modern software platform on which pay TV providers worldwide can provide new video services to customers,” Steve Heeb, president and GM of RDK Management, said in a statement. “he community is starting to take advantage of the benefits of having source code access for their STB software, and the RDK continues to gain traction around the globe – as will be showcased prominently at INTX 2015.”

Multichannel News will feature a Q&A with Heeb in the April 4 issue, along with a snapshot of RDK-powered demos expected to appear on the INTX show floor.  

Some of the RDK member companies exhibiting at next week’s show include:

• ActiveVideo (soon to be part of an Arris/Charter Communications joint venture)
• Arris Group
• Alticast
• Cisco
• Cognizant
• Comcast
• Ericsson
• Espial Group
• Humax Americas
• Intel
• Metrological
• Pace  (in the process of merging with Arris)
• Samsung
• S3 Group
• SeaChange International
• Symphony Teleca
• Technicolor
• ThinkAnalytics
• UXP Systems
• ValueLabs
• Visible World
• Wipro

S3 Group said 12 pay TV operators are testing StormTest Warning Center, a platform that enables them to monitor and test new apps and services after they go live.

On the advice of operators, S3 developed this new DevOps capability to help “bridge the gap” between the end of initial testing and development in the lab to the actual launch of a new offering, John Maguire, S3’s chief strategy officer, said.

S3 Group announced its Warning Center trial update Thursday in tandem with the company’s second annual StormTest North American User Group in Philadelphia.

The need for a live-network testing system has come about as operators become more software-focused and shift from a test-and-launch to a launch-and-test mentality, while also moving away from monolithic systems and services to a model that supports the introduction of more granular “micro-services” that enhance the overall system. The trick is supporting and testing those without impacting all of the other pieces of the platform.

“They [pay TV operators] needed to continue to roll that testing into the live network,” while backing it with a cloud-based system that can run the analytics, he said. “This is a 24/7 activity…We’ve got a product platform that is particularly suited for this transition to continuous delivery.”

Warning Center and its cloud-based approach, S3 said, can be used to provide automated service validation, and perform remote troubleshooting and testing of elements such as audio or video quality, EPG rendering, channel change times, and VOD access times.

S3 Group isn’t identifying the dozen operators that are testing Warning Center, which was introduced at the IBC show last fall, but it’s a group that represents a range of distribution types, including IPTV, cable and terrestrial.  However, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Mediacom Communications and Canada’s Videotron are among the North American MSOs that are using S3’s StormTest products. Of that group, TWC is using StormTest tools for its TWC TV app.

S3 Group recently set up a new office in Philadelphia to support new and existing business in the region, and to accommodate cable sector growth. S3 is also managing the code base for the Reference Design Kit, the preintegrated software stack for hybrid QAM/IP and IP-only set-tops and video devices being managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global. 

Mike Hayashi, the former long-time Time Warner Cable engineering exec who announced his retirement last fall, has been appointed to the board of directors at Espial, a maker of video software and user interfaces.

Espial -- headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with R&D centers in the Silicon Valley and the U.K. -- develops UIs powered by HTML5 and has licensed the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the preintegrated software stack for IP-capable set-tops and other video devices that is being managed by Comcast, TWC, and Liberty Global.

Espial announced last month that a “major,” but unidentified European cable operator with more than 1.5 million homes passed had selected Espial’s RDK platform, including its client software for DVB/IP set-tops, user experience and backoffice service management platform. Espial, which has RDK-facing deals with another MSO in Europe and a “tier-1” in North America, has a list of customers and partners that includes Vodafone, KDDI, Com Hem, Sagecom, Pace, Arris, Cisco Systems, Panasonic Technicolor and Samsung, among others.

Hayashi, a 36-year-cable industry vet who most recently served as TWC’s executive vice president, architecture, announced in September 2014 that he would retire from the MSO at the end of that year. Espial’s announcement said Hayashi’s retirement from TWC became effective in March 2015.  At TWC, Hayashi was a leading developer of next-gen cable products and services, including advanced analog, digital video, cable telephony, and video-on-demand. 

“Mike is one of the most innovative and respected technology executives in our industry, and we're excited to have him join Espial’s board of directors," said Jaison Dolvane, CEO of Espial, in a statement. "Mike’s insight, experience and industry knowledge will be invaluable to Espial's future plans." 

“Espial has developed impressive solutions that enable network operators to create an immersive, personalized user experience for their subscribers,” Hayashi added. “Their leadership and customer momentum around RDK is a key success ingredient for our industry in this critical time of growing competition. I'm excited to work with Jaison, Espial’s board, and the leadership team as they help major operators around the world launch compelling new video services.” 

Hayashi, who played a key role in Warner Cable’s pioneering, seven-year “Qube” interactive TV project (read this story about the group’s reunion in 1998), is also late of Scientific-Atlanta (now part of Cisco Systems) and Pioneer Communications. Hayashi graduated from St. Joseph College (Yokohama, Japan) in 1974, earned a B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College in 1978, and an MBA from The Ohio State University in 1986. 

RDK Management LLC, the joint venture running the Reference Design Kit for IP and hybrid set-tops and gateways, has launched a remotely-accessible app development and test environment in partnership with Metrological, a TV application company based in the Netherlands.

Metrological combined its application framework with the RDK to create Metrological’s RDK App Emulator, which will help developers build prototypes and test RDK apps remotely without requiring a physical RDK device or set-top box. Metrological will administer and distribute the new emulator to developers looking to create apps on top of the RDK, regardless of whether they are RDK licensees, the companies said.

RDK Management is a joint venture of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global, and has more than 200 licensees, including other MVPDs, chipmakers, set-top makers, system integrators, and test and measurement firms.

Metrological joins other vendors that have close ties to the RDK. In 2013, RDK Management tapped itaas (now part of Cognizant) to oversee community support services and technical support and training for licensees of the RDK, and S3 Group to handle J.V.’s code management function. 

Metrological was announced as an RDK licensee last year. UPC Hungary, a unit of Liberty Global, offers apps from Metrological on the MSO’s high-end IP-based video platform and has  adapted some to run on older non-IP set-tops.

“Supporting app developers to create apps on top of the RDK is a very important part of the RDK mission,” said Steve Heeb, president and GM of RDK Management. “Thanks to Metrological, the RDK can attract an even larger base of app developers that can provide apps to operators. Our long term goal is for the app developer community to view the RDK as the premier platform that brings new levels of innovation to the video industry.”

“This new developer environment gives app developers of any size the ability to develop and test new RDK applications on their own laptops, which will help extend innovative new app experiences to the TV,” added Metrological CTO Albert Dahan. “Metrological is proud to play such an important role in supporting the growing RDK app development community.” 

RDK Management LLC said the Reference Design Kit, the common, pre-integrated software stack for IP-capable devices, has tacked on more support for Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), a standard that is popular with pay-TV operators in regions such as Europe.

RDK Management, a venture headed up by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global, said it has added in-band DVB Service Information (DVB-SI) to the platform for use by the RDK community, citing “significant contributions” by Arris Group. The announcement comes on the eve of the 2015 RDK Users Conference, slated to take place February 24 in Denver. 

The inclusion of DVB-SI will enable RDK-based set-tops, gateways and other devices to support critical, in-band table of contents and other data required for electronic program guides and other services. That in-band capability provides reliable data to MVPDs that operate one-way networks or are in the process of transitioning to interactive networks, “a common situation across Europe and other global regions,” RDK Management said.

The contributions, it added, will extend the RDK Media Framework to provide a common method for extracting DVB streams and to provide an open source reference DVB implementation that can be adopted by operators and suppliers that rely on DVB technology.

Aiming to expand its global scope, RDK Management announced last June that it was moving ahead with a plan to make its platform compatible with DVB technology, noting at the time that it was on a path to integrate in-band DVB-SI.

“Given the RDK’s global reach and appeal, it was imperative to deliver DVB-SI functionality to support legacy networks,” said Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK Management, in a statement. “Thanks to a dedicated working group led by ARRIS and Liberty Global, operators in Europe and other parts of the world can more easily adopt the RDK across their markets.”

RDK Management said it now has more than 200 licensees, a group that includes CE manufacturers, SoC vendors, software developers, and system integrators and more than 20 operators. MVPDs known to be part of that latter group include Comcast, Rogers Communications, Japan’s J:COM, TWC, Liberty Global, and Kabel Deutschland.