Octoshape announced a partnership with INVISO to deliver Internet TV contribution services throughout Latin America.

"At INVISO, we seek the most innovative and high quality products to serve our customers through the brands we represent,” said Jose Luis Reyes, Vice President for Sales and Operations, INVISO. “In the case of Octoshape, we found a company and a product that bring these qualities to our supply chain, sales and service.”

Octoshape offers an innovative cloud-based solution that provides instant infrastructure for the distribution of both linear and video on demand content. The Octoshape Infinite Uplink service provides point-to-point distribution of TV signals over the Internet for source signal acquisition to traditional IPTV and cable headends as an alternative to traditional methods like satellite and video fiber.

Qatar Telecom has selected Mariner's IP video service oriented monitoring solution, Mariner xVu. The latest version of Mariner xVu is specifically designed for integration with IPTV probes. Qtel will use Mariner xVu for the Mozaic TV service, making this the first Mariner xVu deployment in the Middle East.

Alfalak Electronic Equipment & Supplies Co., partnered with Mariner to deploy xVu. Through easy integration with network probes — at the head-end and/or individual network element — Mariner xVu offers Qtel additional insights into the IPTV network by extending video service monitoring reach to each subscriber, allowing the operator to maintain the highest possible video quality while simultaneously reducing operating expenses. Statistics collected by external data sources such as probes are compiled and configured as status indicators on Mariner NetworkVu to enable a deeper understanding of IPTV traffic and customer experience issues. The probe enhancement is now a configurable option of NetworkVu, rather than a custom development, and was created based on service provider requests for integration with external data sources.

Netgem has joined the Wireless Broadband Alliance in October 2012. Founded in 2003, one of the aims of the WBA is to enable seamless data Offload for operators. The WBA and its industry leading members are dedicated to delivering high quality user experiences through technology innovation, interoperability and robust security.

Netgem strengthens its commitment to the WBA by announcing the launch of QUATTUOR, the first LTE mobile router with embedded Wi-Fi Offload. Netgem's next generation mobile router will be available in 2013 and has been developed for mobile operators that wish to differentiate their service offering and to maintain full control over their wireless connectivity manager. QUATTUOR will automatically choose the best available connection from 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi networks, placing the device firmly in line with the WBA's objectives. Based on a fully customised platform, QUATTUOR is designed to improve operators' data service profitability.

MRG is excited to release its highly comprehensive annual study IPTV Market Leader Report by Product and Region — Fall 2012.

MRG’s IPTV Market Leader Reports identify which IPTV systems and software companies are leading each of the six IPTV market segments: access systems, video headend systems, video-on-demand server software, set-top boxes, middleware, and content protection/digital rights management. The data is further segmented by geographic region as follows: North America, Latin America/Caribbean, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East/Africa.

“IPTV is continuing its rapid growth worldwide but some of the more exciting opportunities are only just beginning in the Middle East/Africa and Latin America/Caribbean regions,” said Jose Alvear, Senior Research Analyst at MRG. “While the growth in the number of new IPTV service providers has been slowing down because telcos around the world have already deployed IPTV services for a number of years, there are still plenty of new opportunities available to vendors in emerging markets. In addition, vendors are now supplying multi-screen, content delivery and OTT services, as the global pay-TV industry continues to evolve into new screens and devices.”

Several factors were key in this northeastern Kansas telephone company's decision to choose APMAX IPTV middleware from Innovative Systems. However, according to Tri-County Telephone Association's General Manager, Dale Jones, putting the customer experience first above everything else was their main goal in making the decision.

Jones stated, "The capabilities that the Innovative solution gives us to reach out and touch the customer from our back office to help them over the phone is critical in the customer experience. Without having to send out a service technician, which takes time and costs more, we are helping our customers in a timely manner and reducing our own operating costs."

Jones likes the fact that Innovative Systems is continually growing their products with new features to help the rural telco market stay on top of a very competitive market. Jones advises other telcos to look to companies that are thinking outside the box especially when it comes to video. Jones says, "Today's business is nothing like it was in the past, if you are going to attract and retain video customers you have to give them the technology that is going to drive that experience."

The Digital Development Group foresees dynamic growth in its industry. “On Nov. 21st we launched our first channel. We are excited to announce 5 more channels coming before year-end. On the heels of those developments we believe it is important to continue to define our mission.”

DigiDev is targeting the revolutionary “OTT” technology arena. “OTT” or Over The Top devices piggyback on existing network services in consumers’ homes or offices; pull content from the Internet and deliver it to their TV or Internet enabled device. DigiDev uses OTT technology to deliver programming to billions of desktops, mobile and smart/Internet enabled TV devices around the world.

“The market for digital distribution to 'smart' (Internet enabled) devices (smart-TV, tablet, smart-phones) continues to grow at an astonishing rate,” states Martin W. Greenwald, Chairman and CEO of DigiDev. “AppleTV, GoogleTV, and Roku sales this Holiday season are running considerably ahead of last year’s tally.”

This sector has long been battered by forces beyond its control.

There are ways to curb the pain of economic and political changes.

Messages between a GOP strategist and a Census Bureau official make clear the politics and bias behind the proposed citizenship census question.

His unforced errors would make it hard on a U.S. manufacturer.

Sadly, the most recent horrors are not an aberration.

Trump has gutted the asylum system that grew in part out of our shame over our heartless refugee policies in the 1930s.

The GOP likes to use the s-word as a slur. But its actions tell a different story.

Government spending grew at its fastest pace since the Great Recession.

Democratic candidates need to show their math.

The administration is celebrating the brain drain and helping the real swamp.

Welcome to the Resistance, Mooch. Better late than never.

If we have an economic downturn, it will be bad.

The credibility of statistics apparently depends on whether they’re beneficial.

Immigration does touch on many other policy issues, though maybe not in the manner he suggests.

One could imagine him becoming even more protectionist and more isolationist in a recession.

If you don’t know what capital gains indexing to inflation means, you probably wouldn’t benefit from it.

The president has had some experience with poorly run companies and excuse-making.

Whatever the opposite of it is, that’s what Democrats should be running on.

Trump’s attempted manipulations of official metrics degrade our democracy, economy and public safety.

Despite administration claims, the president’s deregulatory agenda, so far, hasn’t spurred the economic growth that was promised.

The attack on Saudi oil facilities comes as the U.S. economy has been showing signs of fragility.

They have big dreams, but the plans aren’t backed up.

Can you really blame voters, disillusioned and disappointed as they are, for tuning out the onslaught on American democracy?

Wherever he was, whatever his title, the president has used the powers at his disposal to enrich or otherwise benefit himself.

This is a whole different category of alleged impropriety.

Any economic improvements aren’t helped by his actions.

He just took out two birds with one proclamation.

Many of the changes are simply worse for the economy.

Maybe they need a new assignment.

Punitive Medicaid work requirements are being rolled back.

Somehow they’ve “tricked” him into saying and doing racist and corrupt things, in public and on camera.

The president and his team of unelected bureaucrats have siphoned power away from the legislature.

Those are being committed by the Democrats, Republicans say.

How best for the party to get its message across to voters.

The administration has cracked down on all migrants, even those with the most to contribute.

Come hell or high crimes, they always truckle to Trump. And they’re the true risk to our democracy.

Kicking people off food stamps this late in the business cycle makes no sense.

Public officials today could take a lesson from the former Federal Reserve chair.

Maybe it’s irony. Or maybe it’s her latest attempt to pinkwash her father’s anti-family agenda.

A bipartisan tax proposal could signal a shift in the GOP’s business-first focus.

The tax plan has benefited the wealthy while ballooning the deficit.

Democrats' message that not everyone is equally benefiting from the spoils of this economic recovery has resonance.

They know more than anyone how difficult it is to get funding for colleges.

I hope others in my industry will adopt them — and call me out if I don’t.