SUWANEE, Ga. and FOSTER CITY, Calif., Oct. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ARRIS Group,
Inc. (Nasdaq: ARRS) and Sling Media, Inc. have entered into an
agreement to make ARRIS the exclusive worldwide distributor of
Sling technology to cable, telco and wireless service providers
worldwide. Under the agreement, ARRIS will be the sole provider of
Sling technology for both video gateways and standalone devices
intended for such service providers.
This marks the latest development in the companies' recent
collaboration, which kicked off last month with the launch of the
ARRIS MS4000, bringing multiscreen, placeshifting capabilities to
the ARRIS Whole Home Solution with MOXI.
The agreement positions ARRIS as the premier source of
placeshifting multiscreen solutions for global service providers.
The company is leveraging its global scale and solutions expertise
in ODM, video, and software/systems integration to deliver Sling
technology to providers in three main ways:
- Standalone devices – offering turnkey Sling-based hardware
solutions, like the MS4000 multiscreen device
- Video gateways – integrating Sling technology into its
industry-leading portfolio of headed and headless gateways
- Multivendor devices – licensing Sling technology to third-party
manufacturers
ARRIS is planning a phased rollout of the Sling Media technology
to global service providers, with the launch of the MS4000 in early
2014, followed by video gateway offerings and technology licensing
for multivendor devices.
"Our exclusive agreement with Sling Media further solidifies our
position as the leading provider of transcoding solutions for the
future of multiscreen…everywhere," said John Burke, SVP Corporate Strategy &
Development; President Cloud Solutions Business, ARRIS. "We
selected Sling Media for their complementary expertise in
placeshifting technology. This collaboration rounds out our broad
multiscreen portfolio in the cloud, network, and home to give
global providers a variety of ways to let consumers enjoy their
media, their way."
According to the Fourth Annual Media Engagement Barometer by
ARRIS, most global consumers now expect these types of "your media,
your way" services: the average consumer uses multiscreen services
away from home four days a week, and over a quarter download TV
programs to their mobile devices on a daily basis. Sling Media
technology gives subscribers the ability to watch their live and
recorded content on tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices
– in the home and on-the-go.
This research is corroborated by a recent Sling Media customer
survey, which found that nearly two-thirds of Slingbox 350 and 500
users have Internet-connected streaming devices in the home, and
three-quarters of Sling usage takes place away from home.
"We are very pleased to announce this agreement with ARRIS --
which will enable our two companies to closely collaborate on a
range of integrated and standalone video solutions that deliver
HD-quality content across multiple mobile devices, accessible
anywhere. In addition, Sling Media is very pleased with the
worldwide leadership and industry experience that the company's
relationship with ARRIS provides," said Michael Hawkey, Vice President and General
Manager Sling Media. "Customers are demanding access to their pay
TV content on the personal mobile devices they are spending more
time in front of, and we believe Sling Media's proven and
award-winning technology offers a smart, fast way to deliver
multiscreen video solutions that extend the entertainment
experience beyond the living room TV."
The Future of TV Transcoding
ARRIS empowers its
service provider customers with many options for delivering
tomorrow's multiscreen experiences. Its recent integration of Sling
technology rounds out its industry-leading transcoding portfolio at
the device level, while several cloud transcoding options give
providers even more choices for delivering the latest video
experiences. The latest ARRIS whitepaper on "Transcoding Choices
for a Multiscreen World" can be found here.
For more information on ARRIS and Sling Media solutions for
service providers, visit ARRIS at SCTE 2013 - Booth #868 More
information is available online.
About Sling Media
Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar
Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS), is a leading provider of video
placeshifting products and services for consumers and television
service providers. Sling Media's product family includes Slingbox,
which provides consumers with the ability to watch and control
their living room TV shows at any time, from any location, using
Internet-connected PCs, Macs, tablets and smartphones. For more
information, visit www.slingbox.com.
About ARRIS
ARRIS is a premier video and broadband
technology company that transforms how service providers worldwide
deliver entertainment and communications without boundaries.
Its powerful end-to-end platforms enable service and content
providers to improve the way people connect – with each other and
with their favorite content. The Company's vision and
expertise continue to drive the industry's innovations, as they
have for more than 60 years. Headquartered north of Atlanta, in Suwanee,
Georgia, ARRIS has R&D, sales and support centers
throughout the world. For more information: www.arrisi.com
ARRIS and the ARRIS Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks
of ARRIS Enterprises, Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners. © ARRIS Enterprises, Inc.
2013. All rights reserved.
SOURCE ARRIS Group, Inc.