Quative IPTV SDP Interview

Deutsche Telekom is starting a pilot Dual Play TV service that will provide interactive TV, digital terrestrial broadcast TV, and on demand TV delivered over the Internet. This pilot will use an ADB hybrid set-top box and the Quative IPTV Service Delivery Platform (SDP). The following link will take you to German language website for this pilot service.

I spoke with Sebastian Kramer, Quative's CEO. He was formerly head of Alcatel's OMP IPTV middleware project, so he has extensive experience in the IPTV industry. Quative is a subsidiary of the Kudelski group, which also owns IPTV and digital TV content security, Nagravision.

Sebastian said that the Deutsche Telekom Dual Play TV service is separate from the company's T-Home IPTV service that is based on Microsoft's software platform. The Quative SDP was used to build a middleware system that integrates the Internet delivered on demand content with the over the air digital terrestrial service. He said that it offers a superior electronic program guide that includes both services.

He believes that Quative's SDP approach will facilitate B-to-B partnerships that will permit companies to reach consumers through their TVs. He cited an example where BMW might be able to address the 10 percent of the market that is likely to buy its products. BMW would be able to offer videos that feature is autos as well as interactive features such as configurators for each of its models.

Sebastian settled on an SDP approach to middleware because he found at Alcatel that most sales turned what was supposed to be a standard product into a project. Service providers wanted a level of competition that required a significant amount of unique development. He concluded from this experience that an SDP architecture that provides the building blocks that the service provider can use to build a custom middleware system would allow Quative to offer a standard product that service providers can use to create the IPTV system that they really want.

He expects that Quative's SDP will be applied in a variety of hybrid scenarios that include digital terrestrial and IPTV, satellite and IPTV, as well as even cable and IPTV. He also expects that Quative's systems will be used by pure TelcoTV services.

Sebastian and Quative have a smart strategy. They have learned from long experience as an IPTV subscriber. It is likely that they will be successful with Tier 2 and Tier 3 carriers along with hybrid applications. These emerging hybrid services are likely to become Quative's most interesting market.