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Amaru Inc. Companies Set to Launch Global IPTV for US and Asian MarketsTMCnet Communications and Broadband Columnist
Global IPTV service offering consumers 40 channels of video on-demand (VOD) content delivered to television screens via a broadband connection has been launched by Amaru Inc. through its Singapore-based subsidiary M2B World Pte. Ltd. and its Hollywood-based company M2B World Inc. Amaru and its subsidiaries partnered with Zentek Technology Singapore (Zentek) for the launch.
M2B has also announced that in its continuing effort to offer the latest in entertainment delivery solutions, the company expects to roll-out the first of 10,000 units of set-top boxes in June of 2006 aimed at both US and Singapore consumers. All of the content for the Global IPTV service will be provided exclusively by M2B World. Zentek is supplying the design for the set-top boxes while also providing technical service support to customers on a worldwide basis.
M2B is predicting that the Global IPTV service will begin to transform the living room screen into an all-in-one utility for entertainment and communication powered by a broadband connection. The service will be compatible with one of the first wireless set-top boxes on the market.
Positioned mainly for homes and families, the new unit will have a direct connection to the television screen for viewing videos on-demand from 40 channels of segmented content programming. The genres offered will include Hollywood movies, documentaries, music, fashion and lifestyle, travel and leisure, corporate training and professional development. For the truly ambitious, the IPTV cache will also feature karaoke on-demand, Asian programming and the latest Hollywood blockbusters.
Colin Binny, CEO of Amaru Inc. and M2B World Inc. noted that the Global IPTV service will be made affordable so that any broadband connected home can enjoy video on-demand from over 40 different channels of programming that increasingly complements a variety of lifestyle needs.
The new M2B set-top box will feature video conferencing and video messaging features as well as media storage capacity for family photos and home videos. An Internet browsing feature will enable family members to send and check emails from the set-top box.
Zentek is excited to partner with M2B World to create a powerful synergy between its rich media content offering and Zentek’s advanced technology solutions to meet the growing worldwide demand of customers for interactive triple play, according to Mr. Kazou Yoshimura, Managing Director of Zentek Technology Singapore.
Amaru and its M2B World subsidiaries plan to ship 250,000 set-top boxes around the globe within the year. Set-top boxes are pre-bundled with a monthly subscription of 40 channels of content. Consumers will be able to order online and from local retail channels.
Amaru is hoping to create ease of use for consumers by offering the set-top box as a convenience to more personally communicate through voice and image. While the ability to check and send emails from the television as well as store home videos definitely offers convenience, the combining of too many options into the television could cause more chaos than the benefit it provides.
This in essence could help sales of the set-top boxes and subscriptions to the service. A majority of households are multiple set homes and consumers are demanding more and more convenience. If it is a problem to use the email feature or any other option on one television because it is being used to view a Hollywood movie, the consumer can simply use another television in the home. We are a society that does not like to wait and this can translate into substantial revenue growth.
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMC and has also written for eastbiz.com. To see more of her articles, please visit Susan J. Campbell’s columnist page.
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