NexGuard partners with Ericsson to launch Network ID watermarking

New York (NY), USA – September 5, 2017 – NexGuard, a Kudelski Group company and the leading provider of forensic watermarking technology and solutions, today announced its Network ID product, launched as a technology partnership with Ericsson, at IBC 2017 (Amsterdam, The Netherlands on September 14-19, 2017). 

NexGuard’s Network ID solution inserts a unique invisible and robust forensic watermark in primary distribution feeds for linear TV, be it satellite or fiber. The watermark provides clear evidence of the distribution path to determine the source of illegally distributed signals (e.g. for live sports broadcasts). This allows the content owner to focus their anti-piracy efforts on the sources of significant piracy. The Network ID watermark also serves as proof of ownership to enable the take down of pirated streams (e.g. from social media).

The Network ID solution has been designed for today’s global mission critical broadcast systems and has already been integrated with Ericsson’s RX8200 Advanced Modular Receiver for satellite distribution applications. The RX8200 Advanced Modular Receiver is the world’s bestselling IRD. Now with DVB-S2X and HEVC upgradeability, it is also the most future-proof. Broadcasters need to deploy receivers for many different tasks in many different operational circumstances. Ericsson’s RX8200 receiver offers ultimate operational flexibility by providing capability for decoding of all video formats, all video compression formats and total connectivity for all transmission mediums via a comprehensive choice of options.

Maurice van Riek, Kudelski Group SVP Content and Asset Security, said: “Tracing illicit content activity is a necessary and critical first step in fighting today’s greatest piracy challenges, such as the illegal re-distribution of live sports. NexGuard is honored to be working with Ericsson to provide a solution that is pre-integrated with today’s TV & Media industry workflows. Network ID offers a clear indication of the sources of piracy, so that rights holders can focus their anti-piracy efforts where it matters.”

Based on the world's leading forensic watermark
NexGuard forensic watermarking adds a unique, invisible identifier to video content. The watermark remains with the content, even in the case of transcoding, resizing, downscaling, recording by camcorder or any other alteration before illegal re-distribution. 

The Network ID watermark can be detected through the NexGuard online detection portal, a scalable, automated detection service. As a complement to Network ID, NexGuard’s sister company NAGRA offers a comprehensive set of global anti-piracy monitoring & take-down services for Web, IPTV/Kodi and social media piracy.  

Network ID will make its debut at IBC 2017 via demos hosted on NAGRA and NexGuard stand #1.C81, and Ericsson stand #1.D61.

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About NexGuard
NexGuard (www.nexguard.com), a Kudelski Group company, provides the most widely deployed forensic watermarking solutions in the movie and entertainment industry across the globe. Its technology and solutions protect valuable media content, such as premium entertainment and live sports, against illegal distribution. Follow us on Twitter: @NexGuard and LinkedIn. The Kudelski Group (www.nagra.com) is a global leader in digital security and convergent media solutions for the delivery of digital and interactive content. 

Media Contacts:
Ségolène Roche / Lauren Alboini
Tel: +44 (0) 207 486 4900
[email protected] 

About Ericsson

Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and services with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Our organization consists of more than 111,000 experts who have provided customers in 180 countries with innovative solutions and services. Together we are building a more connected future where anyone and any industry is empowered to reach their full potential. Net sales in 2016 were SEK 222.6 billion (USD 24.5 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York. Read more on www.ericsson.com.