ABI Research names Ericsson video middleware leader

ABI Research has named Ericsson the leading global video middleware vendor in their recent competitive assessment covering Middleware, Conditional Access, and DRM. ABI Research recognises Ericsson’s portfolio of IPTV solutions, its strategy of continued investment, its adaptive bitrate technologies and mobile network integration of video as key differentiators that keep Ericsson TV middleware at the leading edge of the technology curve.

Ericsson’s video middleware solutions Ericsson Mediaroom, Mediaroom Reach and MediaFirst are part of Ericsson’s broader end-to-end TV and media product portfolio that spans the entire media value chain. In the report, ABI Research envisions that as Ericsson TV middleware extends and is deeply integrated with the company’s end-to-end TV and media portfolio including encoding, cloud DVR and content delivery, Ericsson will further increase its value as a global middleware leader. ABI Research also points to strengthened customer integration capabilities as another development that will benefit the customers moving forward.

Sam Rosen, Vice President of ABI Research said: “Ericsson video middleware solutions are well architected, enabling TV service providers to offer their customers innovative viewing experiences while also optimizing for costs and operational efficiency. The strength of Ericsson’s TV middleware offerings along with potential for deep integration with Ericsson’s broader TV and media solutions portfolio makes Ericsson a leading-edge company in the TV and media industry.”

The ABI Research report also heralds Ericsson’s focus on developing video oriented systems which take advantage of the cloud, focusing in particular on Ericsson MediaFirst. Although the platform is still in the process of coming to market, ABI Research believes that Ericsson’s approach is very strong and headed in the right direction.