Spotlight: Conax

The interactive gaming industry continues to explore more distribution channels, and one Norwegian company is billing itself as a "one-stop shop" for operators looking to venture into interactive TV.

Conax offers a vast array of services, from delivery systems and payment solutions, and is looking to play a major role in the next transition of the interactive gaming marketplace.

The Company

Conax is a leading supplier of conditional access technology for digital TV, IP streaming and security systems for interactive gaming and e-payment applications.

Originated in 1986 as part of the R&D environment of Telnor, the leading Norwegian telecommunications company, Conax has grown into a globally oriented player, with a solid base of international clients in 10 countries.

From its head office in Oslo, Norway and its sales and support offices in New Delhi and Singapore, Conax continues to deliver state-of-the-art and highly innovative solutions for smart-card based conditional access, security and payment solutions, including 24-7 operation and support services.

The Products Conax offers a slew of products that can be used directly and indirectly in the interactive gaming industry.

Conax-CAS3 is a full Conditional Access System for DVB/MPEG-2 transmissions, designed for applications like satellite feeds to cable head ends, contribution links, closed user groups and large DTH operations.

Conax-CAS3 Odin is a concept specifically designed to meet the situation and requirements of the CATV network operators.

Conax-Scheduler is a scheduling system for configuration of commercial conditions for IPPV events and movies.

Conax-BusinessTV is designed for operators of television networks. It was created to meet their needs for easy configuration of channels and easy creation of recipient groups.

Conax-BMS Blue is a fully-fledged modular subscriber management system for services subjected to conditional access.

Conax-CAstream is a conditional access system for secure IP streaming that enables operators and content providers to encrypt the IP stream formatted content, distribute the encrypted IP stream and to selectively determine who shall be able to decrypt and consume the content.

Conax-PaymentServer ensures efficient payment services for operators and content and service providers.

The Conax security solution for e-gaming provides electronic user ID, authentication of game combinations and payment and conditional access capability, i.e. the functionality needed to create closed betting environments in otherwise open television or IP networks.

The digital TV world opens a variety of exciting service concepts through the interactive return path between the service operator and the user. Conax encrypts programs and pay-TV channels to ensure a steady income and to make sure that agreements regarding intellectual properties are strictly observed.

Conax encryption technology controls the access to all transmissions. Conditional access is used in more and more connections, from purchase of products via smart cards in PCs or in decoders for TV, to distribution of information via open networks or satellite.

The convergence of digital television, Internet and mobile communications combined with efficient integrated electronic ID and electronic payment schemes opens a wealth of new opportunities for gaming operators. Bets can now be placed from practically everywhere--players do not have to see a commission agent in a bet shop anymore. The basis for this evolution is electronic security mechanisms. For consumer environment, the smart card is the security device offering the most optimal compromise between cost, security, flexibility and functionality.

A glance at some of Conax's customers reads like a who's-who of European business and industry. The list includes Telenor Broadband Services, Wahlberg & Selin AB, Telenor UK Ltd., Kingston Inmedia, Vaasa Cable, Helsinki Television, Iceland Telecom and TELE Greenland.

The Future

Conax continues to move forward and expand its business in both Europe and elsewhere. The company is in the process of aligning itself with partners in the gaming industry because it feels gaming is one of only a few sectors that represent huge revenues in interactive TV. Conax is trying to bring interactive TV to all corners of the world and is convinced that more operators will institute the system if they know it will mean increased revenues for them.