SCM Microsystems' Cablecard Modules With Conax CA First to Receive Korean Telecommunication Authority Approval
June 07 2005 - 3:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
SCM Microsystems' Cablecard Modules With Conax CA First to Receive
Korean Telecommunication Authority Approval SCM, Conax First
Suppliers Approved for Secure Cable TV Decryption in South Korea
FREMONT, Calif., June 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SCM Microsystems,
Inc. (Nasdaq: SCMM; Prime Standard: SMY) today announced that it
has achieved certification from South Korea's Telecommunications
Technology Association (TTA) for its CableCARDTM decryption modules
carrying conditional access security software from Conax AS. TTA
has judged SCM's modules to be compliant with the Korean
OpenCableTM standard for digital cable television broadcasting and
therefore SCM is officially approved as a supplier of CableCARD(TM)
modules to the South Korean cable market. SCM's modules are also
the first to obtain TTA certification including the required copy
protection function. SCM has worked closely with Conax to achieve
certification of its CableCARD modules, which are hardware devices
used to provide digital cable subscribers with secure access to
their pay-TV broadcasts by inserting them into the common interface
slot of a set-top box. The modules utilize crypto-processors and
various layers of copy protection technology to make them highly
secure and able to protect content from digital piracy.
"Certification from TTA is an important step forward for companies
that wish to play a role in the burgeoning digital cable market in
South Korea," said Robert Schneider, chief executive officer of SCM
Microsystems. "We are pleased to mark this significant event with
our partner Conax and look forward to exploiting further business
opportunities with Conax in Korea." "We are very pleased and proud
to get the official approval from the Korean Government for our CA
technology on SCM modules. As the first CA supplier to complete the
Phase 1 certification including copy protection, Conax is now ready
for the Korean market. This certification is also a step in the
process of getting Conax CA technology approved for the US cable
market," said Ole Hansvold, Executive Vice President and COO of
Conax AS. The Digital TV Market in South Korea The South Korean
government is deploying digital cable television to between six and
nine million households in Korea over the next several years. In
November 2001, the South Korean government selected OpenCable as
the technical standard for securing the country's digital cable TV
broadcasts. By adopting this open standards-based broadcast
security model, the South Korean government hopes to create a
digital television industry that is both competitive for consumers
and profitable for operators. OpenCable was originally developed by
Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. (CableLabs(R)) for the North
American cable TV market and subsequently was adapted for use in
South Korea. Although the Korean security module is based on the
same OpenCable CableCARD interface specification used in the U.S.,
the Korean security modules will not operate with U.S. OpenCable
devices, or vice versa, for regional security purposes. About TTA
TTA (Telecommunications Technology Association) is an IT standards
organization that develops new standards and provides one-stop
services for the establishment of IT standards as well as providing
testing and certification for IT products. Since the establishment
of TTA (a non-governmental IT standards setting body) in the year
of 1988, it has been contributing as a member of international
standards organizations through the international cooperation as
well as setting Info-Communication standards in South Korea. TTA
has a partnership with CableLabs(R) for OpenCable(TM)
standardization and testing based on an MoU signed in October 2002.
TTA also has a business partnership with the world's leading
testing organizations, The Tolly Group (http://www.tolly.com/) and
VeriTest of LionBRIDGE (http://www.veritest.com/) in the US. About
Conax AS Conax is a leading supplier of state-of-the-art, highly
innovative solutions for smart card-based conditional access,
security and payment solutions. Conax is a globally oriented
player, with a solid base of clients in over 50 countries. The head
quarters are in Oslo, Norway, with subsidiaries in India and San
Diego and sales & support offices in Singapore, China,
Pakistan, Korea, Brazil and Germany. Conax is ISO 9001 and BS7799
certified. http://www.conax.com/ About SCM Microsystems SCM
Microsystems is a leading supplier of solutions that open the
Digital World by enabling people to securely access digital content
and services. The company develops, markets and sells its smart
card reader technology for network and physical access and
conditional access modules for secure digital TV decryption to OEM
customers in the government, financial, enterprise and broadcasting
markets worldwide. Global headquarters are in Fremont, California,
with European headquarters in Ismaning, Germany. For additional
information, visit the SCM Microsystems web site at
http://www.scmmicro.com/. NOTE: OpenCable and CableCARD are
trademarks and CableLabs is a registered trademark of Cable
Television Laboratories, Inc. (CableLabs). All other trade names
are either trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
holders. DATASOURCE: SCM Microsystems, Inc. CONTACT: Manfred
Mueller, +49 89 95 95 5140, or ; or Darby Dye, +1 510-360-2302, or
, both of SCM Microsystems Web site: http://www.conax.com/ Web
site: http://www.scmmicro.com/
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