Product category:
Embedded Software and Operating Systems
News Release from: ANT
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 31 October 2002
Browser to gain multilingual support
ANT and Zi Corp have formed a strategic alliance to integrate their respective technologies and deliver intuitive multilanguage input and IME capabilities to interactive TV applications.
ANT and Zi Corp have formed a strategic alliance to integrate their respective technologies and deliver intuitive multilanguage input and IME (input method editor) capabilities to interactive television applications The alliance will combine the reliable ANT Fresco browser with Zi's predictive text input technology, eZiText, and IME expertise for the remote control and on-screen keyboard
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 10 Aug 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Browser interfaces videophone set top box
Taiwanese manufacturer of high-performance videocommunications solutions Leadtek has licensed the ANT Fresco browser as an integrated component of its next-generation broadband videophone set top box.
By extending the functionality of the browser in this way, consumers can benefit from a faster and more intuitive way to interact with TV applications, content and services offered in their local language.
The alliance creates a pre-integrated solution with the reliable, cost-effective Fresco browser now supporting a wider range of ideographic and alphabetical languages, and input methods, provided by Zi's eZiText.
This will give ANT and its manufacturing customers of set-top boxes (STBs) and other TV-centric devices increased access to markets in Asia, the Middle East and other regions that use stroke-based, Arabic, Cyrillic, Greek or Latin written scripts.
Further reading
Software embeds multimedia into TV designs
ANT PurePlay is a TV application that enables consumers to view, play, and manage digital media files, including photos, audio and video.
Browser runs on NEC's set top box SoCs
The ANT Fresco browser has been ported to the NEC Electronics EMMArchitecture2 range of SoC devices for digital TV and set top boxes.
Lightweight embedded browser cuts out the fat
Fresco Lite is a new super-lightweight version of the ANT Fresco browser for embedded devices.
For Zi Corp, it represents further penetration into the STB market.
The alliance has already proven successful with the licensing and delivery of a pre-integrated solution to one of ANT's OEM customers supplying STBs to the Asian market.
"By integrating the capabilities of eZiText, Zi's leading edge predictive text input technology, and IME expertise with the Fresco browser, we are better positioned to address the market-specific language needs of our customers targeting the Asian and Middle Eastern markets with a more comprehensive and localised browser solution", said Rhys Grossman, Senior Vice-president, Business Development, ANT.
"This pre-integration will provide OEMs with more intelligent interface solutions that can reduce their engineering effort and improve time-to-market of their products".
"ANT has a strong position in the STB market with their reputable and highly reliable Fresco browser, making them an obvious alliance partner for us to strategically extend our channel programme", said Gary Mendel, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Zi Corp.
"Working with ANT gives us the opportunity to significantly increase Zi's reach into the interactive television market.
Typically, consumers interact with their TV using a remote control without access to a full QWERTY keyboard.
The predictive intelligence of eZiText will provide an intuitive interface in the consumer's local language to interact with television services such as e-mailing, on-screen shopping, gaming and information services - virtually any application or service which requires inputting text".
Forecasts for growth in the STB market continue to be strong.
Research group, Strategy Analytics, anticipates the growth in shipments of STBs and integrated TV sets to rise from last year's 33.9 million units to 81 million units in 2005.
Peter King, Director, Broadband Practise, Strategy Analytics said, "We are optimistic for the future of digital television deployments.
Consumers are continuing to demonstrate their enthusiasm for new digital television services, and as more services around the world are launched, and existing platforms continue to upgrade their offer, the industry remains on target for a worldwide digital TV audience of 343 million homes by 2008.
We also expect a 24% annual average growth rate in set-top box revenues for the next five years or so".
He continued, "This means that companies like ANT and Zi Corp, which supply into the set-top box market and play a role in enabling the delivery of the new services, will have the opportunity to have a slice of the growth in these markets".
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