ASTER Relies on Cisco Expertise and Content Delivery System for Launch of Digital Video-on-Demand Service in Poland

Subscribers to Get Personalized, Anytime Access to Content


WARSAW, POLAND--(Marketwire - September 3, 2009) -  IBC AMSTERDAM -- The extensive video-delivery expertise available from Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) has powered the launch of a new video-on-demand service for Polish telecommunication operator ASTER. The ASTER VoD service is capable of providing both high-definition and standard-definition programming for customers in Warsaw, Kraków and Zielona Góra. The Cisco® Advanced Video Services Group provided a comprehensive array of integration services to blend the Cisco Content Delivery System with third-party products and applications to create a flexible VoD solution and allow ASTER to rapidly roll out the new service.

Key Facts / Highlights:

  • The Cisco Content Delivery System delivers the personalized, "anytime" access to a variety of content that subscribers increasingly expect. Instead of forcing operators to add more servers to meet the demand for more video streams in the VoD service, the Cisco solution helps service providers automatically adapt to rapidly changing traffic patterns and deliver their most popular on-demand programming in an easy and cost-efficient way.
  • With the Cisco Content Delivery System, service providers can offer a variety of services to subscribers. At the same time, they can establish a highly scalable platform for future services from different sources to a multitude of subscriber devices. The Cisco Content Delivery System transcends traditional VoD and Internet streaming solutions to provide a broad range of services, including VoD; time-shift TV; barker channels; public-access, education and government channels; and Internet video and music as well as user-generated content services.
  • To support ASTER's VoD launch, the Cisco Advanced Video Services Group delivered project management, testing, installation, configuration and training support. Cisco Advanced Video Services' project management support for ASTER included Cisco VoD integration with third-party applications from NDS in the area of conditional access and middleware, as well as eventIS' back-office applications.
  • VoD launch support is one of many services available from the Cisco Advanced Video Services Group. The group's system integration and video-delivery experts can help companies:
    • Launch networks and services
    • Expand, upgrade and build networks
    • Integrate Cisco technology with third-party and legacy products
    • Manage key projects
    • Plan, design, test, certify, operate and maintain networks
    • Train staff members on the latest broadband technologies and techniques

Supporting Quotes:

  • Krzysztof Zaborowski, PMO manager, VoD project manager, ASTER

"Creating a reliable VoD delivery system is demanding task that requires knowledge and expertise to address all of the complexities of these advanced systems. We relied on Cisco Advanced Video Services' video-delivery expertise to blend Cisco and third-party products and applications into a flexible VoD system for a solution that was on time and on budget."

  • Adrian Pickering, director, Emerging Markets, Service Provider Video at Cisco

"Service providers across Europe, including Eastern Europe and in Russia, want a flexible VoD solution that can be customized to match their language, culture and programming requirements while meeting the guidelines of their business plans, especially rapid time to market. Because 'off-the-shelf solutions' lack the flexibility required, service providers are turning to Cisco Advanced Video Services Group to help launch a robust and proven cost-effective system that is mature and reliable to serve a marketplace where the competition for viewers is greater than ever."

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About ASTER

ASTER is a leading provider of four types of telecommunications services: television, Internet, fixed and mobile telephone. It is also a leading company regarding the placement of new telecommunications services on the Polish market. It was the first company in Poland, and one of the first in Europe, to offer its customers a quadruple play service that combines in one package television (both analogue and digital), broadband internet, fixed and mobile telephony.

ASTER is a part of the Mid Europa Partners LLP investment fund which is a dominant private equity institution in Central-Eastern Europe. It invests in full-fledged and profitable industry leaders in this part of Europe. Mid Europa Partners LLP holds shares in telecommunications companies such as: Invitel (Hungary), MobiFon (Romania), Orange (Slovakia) and others. Its portfolio includes companies operating fixed and mobile telephone platforms as well as cable operators.

ASTER has been present on the telecommunications market since the 1990s, operating in three Polish cities: Warsaw, Cracow and Zielona Gora, and the surrounding areas. ASTER provides services for 380 000 analogue TV subscribers, 75 000 digital TV subscribers, 162 000 internet subscribers, over 62 000 subscribers of desktop telephone services and 26.000 mobile telephone services users (30.06.2009 r.).

About Cisco Systems

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