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September 10, 2009

NAGRAVISION BRINGS WIDGET SERVICES TO PAY TV OPERATORS

  • Nagravision to debut new widget publishing platform at IBC 2009
  • Pay TV operators can now offer subscribers packages of "smart" TV and web enabled applications for instant access to all their favourite and personalized services
  • Publishing tool enables operators to create custom libraries of widget services

Cheseaux, Switzerland – September 10, 2009 – Nagravision, a Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD) company and the world's leading independent provider of value-added content protection solutions, will debut its new widget publishing platform, at IBC 2009. Internet-enabled set-top boxes or set-top-less TVs can run TV-centric widgets on the TV screen that are controlled by the customer's standard remote. Embracing widgets as the starting point for internet-enabled TVs allows operators to attract new subscribers, retain existing ones, and utilize internet social networks and content for viral promotions. The platform allows operators to jointly develop with content partners, advanced widgets services in relation to live or on-demand content for pay TV subscribers. Additionally, operators can gain and maintain full control of revenues from advertisements tied to specific internet content to complement traditional broadcast media revenues.

A widget is a small, intuitive, easy-to-use software application that lets consumers interact with online information online in a graphically appealing way. It creates a targeted and familiar environment with recommendation of relevant data for consumers making them more likely to return to a certain service of interest. Widgets can now also be integrated into the television experience to access internet-based content directly from the TV. Delivering personalised widget services to TV consumers increases the usage rate which translates to direct revenue, ads revenue, and cross selling opportunities for the operator.

NAGRA Media widget platform is initially configured with a core set of widgets organised in a store and controlled by the operator. The store allows subscribers to search for, procure, and install new widgets from a large gallery. This gallery contains widgets that can be customised to fit the look and feel of a pay TV operator's standard interface. It includes live and on-demand recommendation widgets as well as additional core personalized widgets set by the operator. Personalized widgets allow subscribers to share videos and track their updates from online social networks, dozens of video content providers and hundreds of other Internet driven widgets (weather, stocks, social networks, news feeds, …) from a variety of providers.

"The widgets in our new publishing platform bring manageable 'chunks' of the internet to the screen of customers' TV's. The type and breadth of widgets, chosen by the operator and their subscribers, provides a powerful competitive advantage by increasing brand awareness and keeping subscribers satisfied with leading edge capabilities and personalised experiences," said Yves Pitton, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Nagravision.

The entire end-to-end workflow involved with creating, managing, presenting and delivering widgets to a subscriber device seamlessly integrates into Nagravision’s Federated Services Architecture.

As part of this complete solution, Nagravision is also introducing the NAGRA Media widget STUDIO a powerful service publishing tool that gives operators and their partners the ability to create custom libraries of widget services including services that leverage their established pay TV offering. The system is a web-based front end to the powerful NAGRA Media CMS and NAGRA Media SDP transaction system and OpenTV advanced advertising solution.

Pitton continued, “The growing consumer demand for web services and web-like applications across the traditional TV and mobile media fits our business model exceptionally well. It positions us to address and help monetize a large and growing market for our pay TV customers.”

As part of the Nagravision's larger effort to develop web enabling services platform solutions across its extensive pay TV customer base, the company recently acquired US based Medioh!, a company specialised in web services and social networks fully integrated in Nagravision.

Nagravision will demonstrate its complete widget offering at the IBC in Amsterdam, Netherlands in its booth I.D69 (September 11-15, 2009).

About the Kudelski Group and Nagravision
The Kudelski Group (SIX: KUD.VX) is a world leader in digital security and convergent media solutions for the delivery of digital and interactive content. Its technologies are used in a wide range of services and applications requiring access control and rights management to secure the revenue of content owners and service providers for digital television and interactive applications across broadcast, broadband and mobile delivery networks. The Kudelski Group is also a world technology leader in the area of access control and management of people or vehicles to sites and events. It additionally offers professional recorders and high-end Hi-Fi products. The Kudelski Group is headquartered in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland. Please visit www.nagra.com for more information.

Nagravision, a Kudelski Group company, is the leading supplier of open conditional access systems, DRM and integrated on-demand solutions for content providers and digital TV operators over broadcast, broadband and mobile platforms. Its technologies are currently being used by more than 120 leading Pay-TV operators worldwide securing content delivered to over 114 million active smart cards and devices. Please visit www.nagravision.com for more information.

Contacts:
Ivan Schnider
(contact for trade media)
Nagravision SA
Head of Marketing Communications
+41 21 732 09 40
[email protected]

Daniel Herrera
(contact for general interest media)
Kudelski Group
Head of Corporate Communications
+41 21 732 01 81
[email protected]

Santino Rumasuglia
(contact for investors and financial analysts)
Kudelski Group
Head of Investor Relations
+41 21 732 01 24
[email protected]

Dawn Danaher
Media Relations for Nagravision Americas
+1 714 378 5841
[email protected]