Virgin Media Upgrades Digital TV Platform With Cisco

LONDON, / IBC Amsterdam, September 11, 2009 - Cisco today announced that Virgin Media, a leading entertainment and communications company in the UK, has chosen Cisco to support its Internet Protocol (IP) TV distribution platform and help upgrade its legacy digital TV infrastructure.

Virgin Media will deploy Cisco® Digital Video Headend technology in all of its regional and central headends to enable growth in standard-definition and advanced high-definition TV (HDTV) services. Deployed across Virgin Media's national fibre optic network, Cisco IP core and edge network technologies will provide high-speed distribution between the central and regional headends and support delivery to Virgin Media's high-speed access network. On completion, the new TV platform will be capable of delivering advanced services to more than 12.6 million UK homes.

Highlights / Key Facts:

Virgin Media's upgraded TV distribution platform will be extensively based on Cisco technology, including Cisco's IP Next-Generation Network core and edge routing and switching, digital video headend solutions, and system management and monitoring.
The project, managed by Cisco, includes installation, full system integration, the priming of third-party elements and support provided by the Cisco Advanced Video Services Group.
The simplified infrastructure will help Virgin Media to reduce operating expenses, support the rollout of new conditional-access security services, and accelerate the introduction of new standard- and high-definition services.

Quotes:

Daniel Hennessy, director of technical architecture at Virgin Media

"Upgrading our digital TV platform means we can continue bringing innovative new services to our customers. With greater resilience and added capacity, we can guarantee an outstanding viewer experience as we add further HD content to our TV platform. Cisco has the right experience and expertise to deliver a complete solution and help support the rollout of a next generation of entertainment services."

Phil Smith, vice president, Cisco UK & Ireland

"Cisco values the relationship with Virgin Media, which has developed and deepened over the years. Since Cisco introduced the concept of medianets, intelligent networks that are optimised to deliver rich-media content, we have seen service providers like Virgin Media take the lead in transforming their networks to really differentiate the consumer experience. With the new IP-based TV transmission platform, Virgin Media customers can look forward to services that will change the way they are entertained."