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September 09, 2009

NAGRAVISION SELECTED BY HD+ IN GERMANY

  • HD+, the new platform of satellite system operator SES ASTRA in Germany, selects Nagra Media turnkey end-to-end conditional access system for its new HD service
  • HD+ solution expands Nagravision’s portfolio of set-top box integration and certification program

Cheseaux, Switzerland – September 9, 2009 – Nagravision, a Kudelski Group division/company (SIX:KUD), announced on August 28 that HD PLUS GmbH, an SES ASTRA company, selected a Nagra Media turnkey end-to-end conditional access system (CAS) to support the operator's new high definition (HD) offering in Germany. Named HD+, the SES ASTRA service will deliver HD programmes to TV households and is scheduled to launch in late autumn. This selection expands the companies' already ongoing relationship.

"The Nagra Media solution provides outstanding broadcast security. It enables us to offer the technical services for programming diversity and flexible business models especially tailored to broadcasters and consumers needs," said Wilfried Urner, Managing Director of the newly founded ASTRA operating unit HD PLUS GmbH in Unterföhring near Munich. "With HD+, we will create new possibilities for TV channels in the growth area of HD and help to increase the programming provided to TV viewers. HD+ lays a new base for the reception of highly valuable HD programmes.”

The first commercial channels to be carried by the HD+ service are RTL and VOX, which will start to broadcast their HD programmes in autumn this year. In January 2010, the channels Sat.1, ProSieben and kabel eins will follow. Presently ten leading set-top box manufacturers have engaged with Nagravision to begin the integration and certification processes clearly demonstrating their support for the HD+ business model.

The HD content requires signal protection and digital rights management enabled through encryption. Receiver manufacturers will offer Nagravision enabled HD+ smart cards with their set-top boxes to decrypt the HD programming for home viewers. This model has proven to work well for both consumers and operators in regions or countries such as Italy and the UK.

"Nagravision's innovative solutions enable operators to offer attractive services contributing to a horizontal retail market. We've seen repeatedly in multiple deployments and regions how attractive a smart card / set-top box combination can be to consumers eager to adopt digital technology. The technology provided by Nagravision will allow SES ASTRA to offer HD TV in Germany – an obvious added value to consumers because it makes television more attractive," said Pierre Roy, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Nagravision. "Nagravision is ready to deal with a large number of requests from set-top box manufacturers and we will continue working with any manufacturer at fair and non-discriminatory terms."

About HD PLUS GmbH
HD PLUS GmbH is setting up a new service for television in high definition under the label HD+. HD+ will offer satellite households access to new HD programmes and complements the already existing wide digital programme offering, which is broadcast via ASTRA. HD+ is independent of broadcasters. It is designed to be open to all broadcasters for the technical implementation and marketing of their HD programmes. The HD+ market launch is set for autumn 2009. Appropriate receivers from renowned manufacturers will then come onto the market. HD PLUS GmbH is a subsidiary of the satellite operator SES ASTRA. It is located in Unterföhring near Munich.

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]