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Nokia licences Spyglass web technology for digital set-top boxes
April 17, 1998
Nokia, a leading supplier of digital set-top boxes for cable and satellite, today announced a licensing agreement with Internet pioneer Spyglass Inc for up-front web technology to be integrated in Nokia's next generation of digital cable, satellite and terrestrial set-top boxes. The Spyglass Device Mosaic web browser will be modified and used by Nokia as an HTML engine; a new open application platform for developing advanced interactive and online television services.
As HTML is an open language, low-cost applications can be built by a number of different companies ensuring a wide variety of revenue-generating interactive television services. The openness of HTML will ensure that Nokia's set-top boxes function seamlessly with all cable, satellite and terrestrial operators' systems, and avoid the pitfalls of limited proprietary environments.
The inclusion of an HTML engine will allow advanced interactive television services such as:
- Internet access and web browsing
- e-mail
- interactive advertising
- home shopping and home banking
- video on demand
- pay per view
"This is much more than a Web browser", says Helmut Stein, Senior Vice President of Nokia Multimedia Network Terminals. "Adding an HTML engine to the Nokia platform will enable cable, satellite and terrestrial operators to reap the greatest benefit from their digital networks".
"Nokia is already a market leader in DVB set-top boxes", says David Harris-Evans, Managing Director of Spyglass Europe. "By incorporating an HTML engine, they will be the first to market with a set-top box that is not only DVB-compliant, but will also serve as a revenue-generating application platform for the entire cable, satellite and terrestrial industry".
All Nokia's set-top boxes are DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) compliant. The DVB standard was established to develop open specifications for advanced cable, satellite and terrestrial networks. It has previously been announced that DVB's Multimedia Home platform would be based on open standards such as HTML. In the US, Open Cable, a similar effort spearheaded by CableLabs is underway. Nokia's set-top boxes are expected to comply also with the Open Cable specification.
About Nokia Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is a broad-scope telecommunications company supplying mobile phones, mobile and fixed telecommunications networks, data communications solutions, multimedia terminals and PC monitors. With sales in 130 countries, net sales totaled FIM 52.6 billion ($9.8 billion) in 1997. Nokia employs more than 36,000 people worldwide.
About Spyglass Inc. Spyglass Inc provides software and services to make devices work with the World Wide Web. Particularly active in the television and cable industries, Spyglass has provided technology licensing and custom development to companies such as Microsoft, Xerox, Daimler-Benz, Apple and others. Spyglass headquarters are located in Naperville, Illinois.
For more information, please contact:
Nokia
Pasi Pohjala
e-mail: pasi.pohjala@mnt.nokia.com
phone: +358 3 272 53 40
Spyglass Inc
Amanda Stokes
e-mail: astokes@spyglass.com
+1 630 245 6512
http://www.spyglass.com
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