MultiChoice Licenses onHandTV from S3

Johannesburg, South Africa -- January 15th, 2008 – Silicon & Software Systems (S3) today announced that leading Pay-TV operator MultiChoice has licensed S3’s onHandTV Software Development Kit (SDK) for DVB-H to further develop their interactive Mobile Broadcast TV services. S3, as the leading provider of broadcast Mobile DTV solutions, is bringing their detailed product expertise and market knowledge to bear in this close collaboration with MultiChoice.
 
MultiChoice, a wholly owned subsidiary of MIH, is Africa’s leading pay television operator. The company has operations in 47 countries on the Africa continent and adjacent Indian Ocean islands, with over 2 million subscribers. Operations include world-class subscriber management services and the management of digital satellite platforms broadcasting over 75 video channels, 40 audio services, 28 radio channels and 6 Interactive channels, 24 hours a day for its range of DStv bouquets.  MultiChoice’s newest business unit, DStv Mobile, is currently investigating and trialing a technology that will play a significant role in the transmission of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa; namely DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast – Handheld).

DVB-H is a mobile broadcast technology that allows for the digital terrestrial transmission of live television channels to a mobile phone. MultiChoice has already made huge strides in the Mobile TV broadcast environment; having launched commercial DVB-H services in Namibia, Kenya and Nigeria in 2007.

“We are very proud to have been selected by MultiChoice to provide our expertise and software IP to enhance their entry into the interactive Mobile TV services arena. S3 is continuing to deliver on its strategy of enabling broadcast and mobile operators to transition from their existing services to converged interactive services across multiple platforms and we are extremely pleased to be adding such a prestigious company as MultiChoice to our client list,” said Philip Brennan, Vice President Consumer Systems, S3.

Commenting on the announcement Linda Vermass, CEO of DStv Mobile, MultiChoice’s Mobile TV business unit, said “MultiChoice continues to operate at the forefront of technology and is focused on adding significant value for subscribers across Africa. The delivery of our premium content via the Mobile Broadcast TV platform offers an exciting challenge to us, as well as an enormous market opportunity. We have chosen a world-class partner in S3 to help us address some of these challenges and ultimately enable us to support interactive Mobile Broadcast TV services to our growing customer base.”