Thursday, February 26, 2009

Arab Media Group Selects never.no Interactivity Suite to Support ATN's Participation-TV Venture

OSLO, Norway, February 26 /PRNewswire/ --

- Visit never.no at CABSAT, Stand Z-13

never.no, creators of the software that powers the world's most popular interactive video systems, today announced that Arab Media Group (AMG) has selected never.no's Interactivity Suite to support a participation-TV venture by AMG's Arab Television Network (ATN), including channels such as MTV Arabia. Located in Dubai, AMG is the largest media conglomerate in the Middle East, comprising television, radio, print, online, and advertising companies.

"The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the fastest-growing and most competitive media market in the world, and AMG is the largest and most dynamic media organization in the UAE," said Lars Lauritzsen, CEO of never.no. "The selection of our Interactivity Suite to be the enabling technology behind this high-profile project represents further recognition by the global media industry of the suite's exciting potential. We are committed to helping AMG redefine the playing field for participation TV in combination with mobile marketing concepts."

never.no's Interactivity Suite comprises four software applications that enable audience members both to influence a television broadcast in real time and to interact with one another. Using it, media owners and advertisers can track consumers from medium to medium, communicate with them individually, and tailor content and advertising to suit them. Broadcasters also can use the Interactivity Suite to integrate user-submitted content into their programming.

The suite consists of Auto-Dialogue System, which provides design, configuration, deployment and operation of one-to-one dialog services in electronic media and is targeted at mobile phones; Interactivity Desk, an editorial system for managing and moderating viewer input and executing simple broadcast control functions including preparation and scheduling of content; Dynamic Content Scheduler, which provides frame-accurate scheduling and configuration of broadcast time besides automating interactions with graphics systems, video servers, automation systems, and station clocks; and Intelligence, a data mining and statistical reporting tool.

The Interactivity Suite interfaces in all directions through industry-standard protocols and supports any format logic from simple SMS votes to highly complex and individualized applications with timelines spanning several years. Currently, it provides the basis for more than 2,000 diverse mobile consumer services, and produces daily live television broadcasts on some 30 channels around the world.

"We wanted the best, most reliable, and most functional solution for enabling participation TV, which is why we opted for never.no, the leading player in the global interactive market," said Khadeeja Al-Marzooqi, general manager of AMG's Arabian Digital Network. "We are expecting a great response from our audience and ultimately a higher market share as a result both of the creative and the technology aspects of our participation-TV project."

More information on this and any other never.no products is available at http://www.never.no or by phone at +47-22-01-66-20.

About Arab Media Group

Founded in March 2005, Arab Media Group (AMG) is the largest media organization in the UAE. Its business interests include nine radio stations, three newspapers, television, online, distribution, printing, events management and outdoor advertising. Its most recent ventures are the launch of MTV Arabia through its ATN subsidiary, and the launch of Virgin Radio.

About never.no

never.no connects broadcasters, brands, outdoor media owners and digital screen networks with online and mobile consumers. never.no's interactive video platform enables audience participation by modifying the video stream based on live, user-submitted opinions and content. Able to function with traditional TV, webTV, IPTV and mobile TV platforms, the never.no product suite powers interactive TV formats and entire channels and allows viewers to participate through mobile phones and the Internet. With datacenters in Oslo, Los Angeles, and Dubai, never.no serves customers including broadcast, telco, and media companies worldwide. More information about never.no products is available at http://www.never.no.

All trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.

    Agency Contact:

    Marguerite Clark
    Wall Street Communications
    Telephone: +33-1-45-25-36-91
    E-mail: marguerite@wallstcom.com

    never.no:

    Lars Lauritzsen
    CEO
    Telephone: +47-22-01-66-20
    E-mail: lars@never.no

[Via http://www.prnewswire.com]