November 14, 2007

Symmetricom and Sagem Comm collaborate on IPTV Set-Top Box

Symmetricom to pre-integrate V-Factor into Sagem Comm IPTV STBs to monitor video quality

By Dennis P. Barker

Symmetricom, Inc., a worldwide leader in precise time and frequency technologies that accelerate the deployment and enable the management of next generation networks, has announced it is partnering with Sagem Communications (SAFRAN Group), a worldwide leader of IPTV set-top boxes (STBs) with 2 million units shipped before year-end, to trial Symmetricom's V-Factor solution into SAGEM IPTV STBs to gain visibility into the quality of experience of IPTV customers. By embedding V-Factor, an industry leading solution that correlates network and content metrics to accurately monitor the quality of consumers' video experience, service providers gain insight into IPTV and other real time multimedia services directly from homes that utilize SAGEM STBs. The joint solution will initially launch with beta trials at a service provider in France.

Traditional methods involving Quality of Service (QoS) that is assessed in the core network must be paired with Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics to achieve end-to-end performance monitoring. With Symmetricom's V-Factor embedded in STBs, service providers are able to monitor QoE from a customer's point of view. Based on the Moving Picture Quality Metrics (MPQM) model adapted specifically for end-to-end video quality scoring, V-Factor is the first perceptual video quality solution that correlates both network and content impairments. Symmetricom's QoE solutions provide a reliable benchmark (e.g., a MOS score) familiar to most CSPs. This enables service providers to diagnose the perceptual impact of video quality impairments that are introduced by transmission over an IP network and/or by artifacts that arise from various encoding methodologies.

According to Yves Cognet, chief technology officer for Symmetricom's QoE Assurance Division, "We are confident that the trial of our combined solution will meet the performance and QoE monitoring expectations of our service provider customers as they seek to grow and improve their IPTV and other IP-based video offerings. Our goal is to demonstrate the benefits of an end-to-end solution that includes real time monitoring from inside a customer's home."

For more information, please visit: http://qoe.symmetricom.com/lp/Sagem/.

Sagem Communications (SAFRAN Group) is a major player in the field of communications, having acquired international positions thanks to a high innovative potential. The SAGEM products benefit from a particular awareness in the following activities: printing terminals, residential terminals, digital TV set-top boxes, systems, electronic metering. For more information, visit the following Web Sites: www.sagem.com and www.safran-group.com.

As a worldwide leader in precise time and frequency products and services, Symmetricom provides "Perfect Timing" to customers around the world. Since 1985, the company's solutions have helped define the world's time and frequency standards, delivering precision, reliability and efficiency to wireline and wireless networks, instrumentation and testing applications and network time management. Deployed in more than 90 countries, the company's synchronization solutions include primary reference sources, building integrated timing supplies (BITS), GPS timing receivers, time and frequency distribution systems, network time servers and ruggedized oscillators.

Symmetricom also incorporates technologies including Universal Timing Interface (UTI), Network Time Protocol (NTP), Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588), and others supporting the world's migration to Next Generation Networks (NGN). Symmetricom is based in San Jose, Calif., with offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.symmetricom.com.