DUBLIN, IRELAND: Research and has announced the addition of the "Global Extended Validation SSL Certification Market 2010-2014" report to its offering.
One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is increasing adoption of internet transactions. The Global EV SSL Certification market has also been witnessing integration of consolidated security features. However, the relatively high price of EV SSL certificates could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.
Key vendors dominating this market space include VeriSign Authentication Services, Comodo Group Inc., and Go Daddy Group Inc.
Commenting on the report, an analyst from TechNavio's IT Security team said, Increasing competition between vendors is resulting in integration of malware scanning and other added security features in EV SSL certificates. Additional features such as malware scanning, accessibility evaluation, and security-auditing modules help end-users effectively secure their network. Since end-users are now demanding a consolidated solution, which can provide additional security features apart from SSL, vendors providing add-on security modules are experiencing stronger growth.
According to the report, the major driver for the Global EV SSL Certification market is the high growth in online transactions. The mushrooming of banks and PCI companies is driving end-users toward online transactions. Advantages such as quick transfer and fund transfer at low cost are driving end-users to adopt online transaction practices.
Further, the report also discusses key market challenges such as frequent emergence of new web browsers leading to compatibility issues.
Friday, February 17, 2012
PilotFish announces automated healthcare interoperability test portal
MIDDLETOWN, USA: PilotFish Technology announced the Automated Interoperability Test Portal. The Portal is a web application where a healthcare organization can publish its interface specifications and provide automated testing, validation and interoperability simulation services to electronic trading partners.
Trading partners benefit by having 24/7 access to everything they need to quickly and efficiently configure interfaces and test and validate them prior to deployment.
Bringing on trading partners has been a long and arduous process. Each demands individualized support. All of the documentation, implementation guides and sample files must be gathered up and sent to each trading partner. Then the trading partner builds the interfaces, often from scratch, or by modifying similar interfaces.
Next is the long, drawn out process of testing, tweaking, verifying, emailing and endless phone calls and delays – consuming valuable resources on PilotFish’s Automated Interoperability Test Portal changes that and represents a totally new paradigm for how organizations bring trading partners online.
The portal provides all of the documentation necessary for the trading partner to quickly build interfaces to the hosting organization. Once the interfaces are built, the portal supports secure access for automated submission, testing and validation of the interfaces to ensure compliance with the documentation.
End-to-end testing of requests and responses is provided allowing the trading partner to simulate production before going “live.” When satisfied with their self-testing, the trading partner contacts the organization’s representative for final integration testing and production deployment.
Trading partners benefit by having 24/7 access to everything they need to quickly and efficiently configure interfaces and test and validate them prior to deployment.
Bringing on trading partners has been a long and arduous process. Each demands individualized support. All of the documentation, implementation guides and sample files must be gathered up and sent to each trading partner. Then the trading partner builds the interfaces, often from scratch, or by modifying similar interfaces.
Next is the long, drawn out process of testing, tweaking, verifying, emailing and endless phone calls and delays – consuming valuable resources on PilotFish’s Automated Interoperability Test Portal changes that and represents a totally new paradigm for how organizations bring trading partners online.
The portal provides all of the documentation necessary for the trading partner to quickly build interfaces to the hosting organization. Once the interfaces are built, the portal supports secure access for automated submission, testing and validation of the interfaces to ensure compliance with the documentation.
End-to-end testing of requests and responses is provided allowing the trading partner to simulate production before going “live.” When satisfied with their self-testing, the trading partner contacts the organization’s representative for final integration testing and production deployment.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
HBO targets lucrative western European pay-TV market with Dutch cable deal
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Home Box Office Inc.’s (HBO) joint venture with a Dutch cable operator may represent the opening round of the U.S. network’s bid to become a major player in the large and growing market for pay-television services in Western Europe.
The Western European pay-TV market amounted to $37.5 billion in 2011, and is expected to expand to $47.8 billion in 2015, according to the IHS Screen Digest TV Intelligence Service. This year will be particularly strong for the market, with revenue rising by 8 percent to $40.5 billion.
HBO entered into a joint venture with leading Dutch cable operator Ziggo—called HBO Nederland—marking the launch of HBO’s first branded linear channels in Western Europe. Three advertising-free channels, HBO, HBO2 and HBO3, commenced broadcasting on Ziggo's cable service on February 9. Each channel is available in standard or high definition. Subscribers to HBO Nederland also will have access to HBO’s online video service, HBO GO, and its video-on-demand service, HBO On Demand.
“HBO’s move into the Netherlands may presage the launch of linear channels in other countries in Western Europe,” said Guy Bisson, research director, television, for IHS. “The company’s growing library of original content has given HBO an increasingly strong brand outside its home market in the United States, creating the possibility of further international expansion. The Ziggo deal could serve as a model of how to expand in Western Europe, with HBO possibly establishing similar joint ventures with cable operators in other countries in the region.”
HBO so far has concentrated on less developed pay-TV markets to launch international versions of its premium channel brands. In more developed markets like the United Kingdom and France, HBO has entered long-term output deals with pay-TV operators that rule out the launch of HBO-branded channels as long as those deals remain in place. However, if the Dutch venture proves successful, it could prove the viability of further premium pay launches in other markets.
A potential move by HBO into the wider Western European market could have major implications for other premium channels. HBO previously has acted as a supplier of content to other channels in Western Europe. With HBO launching its own channels, this key source of content may dry up.
Beyond boosting its linear TV business, HBO’s move into Western Europe could serve as a precursor to its increased involvement in over-the-top (OTT) services in the region.
HBO goes on air in The Netherlands
Ziggo customers will be the first to receive HBO’s Dutch pay-TV services in the Netherlands, although it is understood that carriage deals are being negotiated with other operators in the country despite Ziggo's undisclosed interest in the venture. Ziggo had two million residential digital subscribers at the end of 2011. The HBO channels will be offered as a standalone premium package for the price of €14.95 per month.
The Netherlands boasts high pay-TV penetration of around 98 percent of television households, and also has seen the launch of a studio-backed premium channel in the form of the short-lived Cinenova, backed by Sony, Walt Disney and UPC. Ziggo is the largest pay-TV operator in the Netherlands, with a market share of slightly more than 40 percent of TV households, providing access to a large amount of potential subscribers.
HBO’s first foray into Western Europe will face a strong competitor in the form of Film1, owned by Chellomedia. Film1 has been active since 2006, and offers channel packages through the majority of Dutch pay-TV operators, with the exception of KPN’s IPTV and pay-DTT services. Most recently, Film1 pre-empted the widely rumored and reported HBO launch with a new Film1 Series channel, inaugurated in January.
The most obvious target next for HBO Nederland is KPN, the third-largest Dutch pay-TV operator behind Ziggo and UPC. KPN does not currently offer a film or series premium package on its IPTV service. A deal with UPC, which shares the same parent company as Chellomedia in Liberty Global, appears unlikely.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
The Western European pay-TV market amounted to $37.5 billion in 2011, and is expected to expand to $47.8 billion in 2015, according to the IHS Screen Digest TV Intelligence Service. This year will be particularly strong for the market, with revenue rising by 8 percent to $40.5 billion.
HBO entered into a joint venture with leading Dutch cable operator Ziggo—called HBO Nederland—marking the launch of HBO’s first branded linear channels in Western Europe. Three advertising-free channels, HBO, HBO2 and HBO3, commenced broadcasting on Ziggo's cable service on February 9. Each channel is available in standard or high definition. Subscribers to HBO Nederland also will have access to HBO’s online video service, HBO GO, and its video-on-demand service, HBO On Demand.
“HBO’s move into the Netherlands may presage the launch of linear channels in other countries in Western Europe,” said Guy Bisson, research director, television, for IHS. “The company’s growing library of original content has given HBO an increasingly strong brand outside its home market in the United States, creating the possibility of further international expansion. The Ziggo deal could serve as a model of how to expand in Western Europe, with HBO possibly establishing similar joint ventures with cable operators in other countries in the region.”
HBO so far has concentrated on less developed pay-TV markets to launch international versions of its premium channel brands. In more developed markets like the United Kingdom and France, HBO has entered long-term output deals with pay-TV operators that rule out the launch of HBO-branded channels as long as those deals remain in place. However, if the Dutch venture proves successful, it could prove the viability of further premium pay launches in other markets.
A potential move by HBO into the wider Western European market could have major implications for other premium channels. HBO previously has acted as a supplier of content to other channels in Western Europe. With HBO launching its own channels, this key source of content may dry up.
Beyond boosting its linear TV business, HBO’s move into Western Europe could serve as a precursor to its increased involvement in over-the-top (OTT) services in the region.
HBO goes on air in The Netherlands
Ziggo customers will be the first to receive HBO’s Dutch pay-TV services in the Netherlands, although it is understood that carriage deals are being negotiated with other operators in the country despite Ziggo's undisclosed interest in the venture. Ziggo had two million residential digital subscribers at the end of 2011. The HBO channels will be offered as a standalone premium package for the price of €14.95 per month.
The Netherlands boasts high pay-TV penetration of around 98 percent of television households, and also has seen the launch of a studio-backed premium channel in the form of the short-lived Cinenova, backed by Sony, Walt Disney and UPC. Ziggo is the largest pay-TV operator in the Netherlands, with a market share of slightly more than 40 percent of TV households, providing access to a large amount of potential subscribers.
HBO’s first foray into Western Europe will face a strong competitor in the form of Film1, owned by Chellomedia. Film1 has been active since 2006, and offers channel packages through the majority of Dutch pay-TV operators, with the exception of KPN’s IPTV and pay-DTT services. Most recently, Film1 pre-empted the widely rumored and reported HBO launch with a new Film1 Series channel, inaugurated in January.
The most obvious target next for HBO Nederland is KPN, the third-largest Dutch pay-TV operator behind Ziggo and UPC. KPN does not currently offer a film or series premium package on its IPTV service. A deal with UPC, which shares the same parent company as Chellomedia in Liberty Global, appears unlikely.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Apple’s toughest competition in Q4 tablet market was…Apple
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Although soaring sales of Amazon’s Kindle Fire and other low-priced tablets trimmed Apple Inc.’s media tablet market share in the fourth-quarter, it was Apple’s own newly introduced iPhone 4S that proved to be the strongest competitor for the iPad during the final three months of 2011.
Apple shipped 15.4 million iPads during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the IHS iSuppli Display Materials & Systems Service. But while shipments were up 39 percent from 11.1 million in the third quarter, Apple’s share of the global media tablet market slipped to 57 percent in the fourth quarter, down from 64 percent in the third quarter.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
“Shipments of the iPad line fell short of IHS estimates in the fourth quarter as many loyal Apple customers devoted their dollars to shiny new alternatives,” said Rhoda Alexander, senior manager, tablet and monitor research for IHS. “However, the primary alternative wasn’t the Kindle Fire—which debuted to solid sales in the fourth quarter—but Apple’s own iPhone 4S smartphone. The rollout of the iPhone 4S in October generated intense competition for Apple purchasers’ disposable income, doing more to limit iPad shipment growth than competition from the Kindle Fire and other media tablets.”
Amazon opens Fire on Apple
The debut performance of the Kindle Fire played a strong role in the share shift as well, particularly in the US market, which accounted for more than half of global fourth-quarter media tablet sales. Amazon shipped 3.9 million Fire tablets in the fourth quarter, allowing the company to garner a double-digit share of the market, at 14.3 percent. This drove Amazon to become the world’s second-largest tablet shipper in the fourth quarter, surpassing Samsung Electronics.
“Kindle Fire shipments in the fourth quarter came right in line with the IHS early December forecast of 3.9 million units, representing a respectable start for the Fire.” Alexander noted. “However, the long-term viability of the product will hinge on the success of Amazon’s business gamble, which depends on tablet sales driving substantial new online merchandise sales at Amazon.com in order to attain profitability.”
Sharing the tablet wealth
For the entire year of 2011, Apple shipped 40.5 million iPads, up 168 percent from 15.1 million in 2010. This gave the company a 62 percent share for the year, down from the dominant 87 percent in 2010, when Apple had the media tablet market all to itself for most of the year.
Despite Amazon’s strong showing at the end of the year, Samsung held on to second place, with shipments of its Galaxy Tab line amounting to 6.1 million units, or 9.4 percent of the 2011 market. Amazon’s share for the year amounted to 6 percent.
Stress tablets
The fourth-quarter introduction of value-priced tablets, most notably the Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook, created chaos across the Android tablet marketplace, forcing competitors to slash pricing in order to clear inventory.
“The surge in non-iPad shipments in the fourth quarter was achieved at considerable financial cost, with sharp price reductions across most of the competing Android tablets and actual product giveaways from a number of vendors as part of promotional efforts for other electronic products,” Alexander noted.
In the wake of the new low bar for pricing set by the Fire and the Nook and the looming Google acquisition of Motorola Mobility, manufacturers and branded vendors are looking to Windows 8 tablets as a more profitable alternative. Watch for a surge of Windows 8 and ARM microprocessor-based tablets in late 2012 and early 2013.
Apple’s tablet plans
Apple is set to reclaim its tablet market share when it commences volume shipments of the next version of the iPad, which is expected in the second quarter of this year.
IHS iSuppli anticipates strong sales for the next iPad refresh, with demand expected to outstrip supply for several months. The new device is reported to feature a QXGA retina display with a pixel format of 2,048 by 1,536, as well as SIRI, the popular voice interface of the iPhone 4S.
As with previous iPad releases, Apple is anticipated to stage a staggered rollout, introducing the new product in different countries around the globe as supply improves.
Media tablet 2011 results
Year-end media tablet shipments came in at 65.2 million units, slightly above the IHS forecast of 64.7 million units.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Apple shipped 15.4 million iPads during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the IHS iSuppli Display Materials & Systems Service. But while shipments were up 39 percent from 11.1 million in the third quarter, Apple’s share of the global media tablet market slipped to 57 percent in the fourth quarter, down from 64 percent in the third quarter.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.“Shipments of the iPad line fell short of IHS estimates in the fourth quarter as many loyal Apple customers devoted their dollars to shiny new alternatives,” said Rhoda Alexander, senior manager, tablet and monitor research for IHS. “However, the primary alternative wasn’t the Kindle Fire—which debuted to solid sales in the fourth quarter—but Apple’s own iPhone 4S smartphone. The rollout of the iPhone 4S in October generated intense competition for Apple purchasers’ disposable income, doing more to limit iPad shipment growth than competition from the Kindle Fire and other media tablets.”
Amazon opens Fire on Apple
The debut performance of the Kindle Fire played a strong role in the share shift as well, particularly in the US market, which accounted for more than half of global fourth-quarter media tablet sales. Amazon shipped 3.9 million Fire tablets in the fourth quarter, allowing the company to garner a double-digit share of the market, at 14.3 percent. This drove Amazon to become the world’s second-largest tablet shipper in the fourth quarter, surpassing Samsung Electronics.
“Kindle Fire shipments in the fourth quarter came right in line with the IHS early December forecast of 3.9 million units, representing a respectable start for the Fire.” Alexander noted. “However, the long-term viability of the product will hinge on the success of Amazon’s business gamble, which depends on tablet sales driving substantial new online merchandise sales at Amazon.com in order to attain profitability.”
Sharing the tablet wealth
For the entire year of 2011, Apple shipped 40.5 million iPads, up 168 percent from 15.1 million in 2010. This gave the company a 62 percent share for the year, down from the dominant 87 percent in 2010, when Apple had the media tablet market all to itself for most of the year.
Despite Amazon’s strong showing at the end of the year, Samsung held on to second place, with shipments of its Galaxy Tab line amounting to 6.1 million units, or 9.4 percent of the 2011 market. Amazon’s share for the year amounted to 6 percent.
Stress tablets
The fourth-quarter introduction of value-priced tablets, most notably the Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook, created chaos across the Android tablet marketplace, forcing competitors to slash pricing in order to clear inventory.
“The surge in non-iPad shipments in the fourth quarter was achieved at considerable financial cost, with sharp price reductions across most of the competing Android tablets and actual product giveaways from a number of vendors as part of promotional efforts for other electronic products,” Alexander noted.
In the wake of the new low bar for pricing set by the Fire and the Nook and the looming Google acquisition of Motorola Mobility, manufacturers and branded vendors are looking to Windows 8 tablets as a more profitable alternative. Watch for a surge of Windows 8 and ARM microprocessor-based tablets in late 2012 and early 2013.
Apple’s tablet plans
Apple is set to reclaim its tablet market share when it commences volume shipments of the next version of the iPad, which is expected in the second quarter of this year.
IHS iSuppli anticipates strong sales for the next iPad refresh, with demand expected to outstrip supply for several months. The new device is reported to feature a QXGA retina display with a pixel format of 2,048 by 1,536, as well as SIRI, the popular voice interface of the iPhone 4S.
As with previous iPad releases, Apple is anticipated to stage a staggered rollout, introducing the new product in different countries around the globe as supply improves.
Media tablet 2011 results
Year-end media tablet shipments came in at 65.2 million units, slightly above the IHS forecast of 64.7 million units.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
OmniVision announces ultra-compact 720p HD image sensor for next-gen mobile devices
SANTA CLARA, USA: OmniVision Technologies Inc., a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, introduced the OV9724,an ultra-compact, high-performance image sensor offering 720p high-definition (HD) video in an industry-leading miniaturized form factor.
Developed specifically for highly compact designs, the OV9724 CameraChip sensor leverages OmniVision's new 1.4-micron OmniBSI+ pixel to enable camera modules of less than 2.5 mm in height. This unprecedented combination of high performance and small form factor allows HD cameras to be integrated into ultra-slim, narrow-bezel devices, making it an attractive solution for next-generation smartphones, notebooks, tablets, portable gaming systems and other mobile devices.
Additionally, OmniVision introduced the OVM9724, which corresponds to the OV9724, packaged in OmniVision's proprietary CameraCube format. The OVM9724 offers an easy-to-integrate, cost-effective camera solution for even thinner bezel notebook and tablet designs.
"The OV9724 further establishes OmniVision's role in defining the future of mobile imaging," said Nick Nam, director of product marketing at OmniVision. "Enabled by our latest OmniBSI+ technology, the extremely small and low-power OV9724 allows manufacturers to integrate high-performance HD video into extremely slim devices at a highly competitive price point. It is also designed to satisfy all major industry standard performance and quality requirements currently prevailing in the market, offering customers an extensive range of options for use in advanced imaging systems."
The 1/9-inch OV9724 CameraChip sensor is built on OmniVision's powerful 1.4-micron OmniBSI+ pixel architecture, enabling 720p HD video capture at 30 frames per second (FPS) or cropped VGA at 60 FPS. It provides full-frame, sub-sampled or windowed 8- and 10-bit images. All required image processing functions, including exposure control and defective pixel cancelling are programmable through the serial camera control bus (SCCB) interface.
The OV9724 comes with a one-lane MIPI interface and fits into a 6 mm x 4.5 mm x 2.5 mm module size. It is currently available for sampling and is expected to go into volume production in the second quarter of 2012. The OVM9724 comes in a 4 mm x 3 mm x 2.5 mm CameraCube module and is expected to start sampling early in the second quarter of 2012.
Developed specifically for highly compact designs, the OV9724 CameraChip sensor leverages OmniVision's new 1.4-micron OmniBSI+ pixel to enable camera modules of less than 2.5 mm in height. This unprecedented combination of high performance and small form factor allows HD cameras to be integrated into ultra-slim, narrow-bezel devices, making it an attractive solution for next-generation smartphones, notebooks, tablets, portable gaming systems and other mobile devices.
Additionally, OmniVision introduced the OVM9724, which corresponds to the OV9724, packaged in OmniVision's proprietary CameraCube format. The OVM9724 offers an easy-to-integrate, cost-effective camera solution for even thinner bezel notebook and tablet designs.
"The OV9724 further establishes OmniVision's role in defining the future of mobile imaging," said Nick Nam, director of product marketing at OmniVision. "Enabled by our latest OmniBSI+ technology, the extremely small and low-power OV9724 allows manufacturers to integrate high-performance HD video into extremely slim devices at a highly competitive price point. It is also designed to satisfy all major industry standard performance and quality requirements currently prevailing in the market, offering customers an extensive range of options for use in advanced imaging systems."
The 1/9-inch OV9724 CameraChip sensor is built on OmniVision's powerful 1.4-micron OmniBSI+ pixel architecture, enabling 720p HD video capture at 30 frames per second (FPS) or cropped VGA at 60 FPS. It provides full-frame, sub-sampled or windowed 8- and 10-bit images. All required image processing functions, including exposure control and defective pixel cancelling are programmable through the serial camera control bus (SCCB) interface.
The OV9724 comes with a one-lane MIPI interface and fits into a 6 mm x 4.5 mm x 2.5 mm module size. It is currently available for sampling and is expected to go into volume production in the second quarter of 2012. The OVM9724 comes in a 4 mm x 3 mm x 2.5 mm CameraCube module and is expected to start sampling early in the second quarter of 2012.
LDRA opens division dedicated to comprehensive certification services
MONKS FERRY, UK: LDRA, the leader in standards compliance, automated software verification, source code analysis and test tools, has created LDRA Certification Services (LCS), a division devoted to helping customers develop certification-ready products.
The LCS team includes Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Designated Engineering Representatives (DER) and safety engineering experts, who offer product certification solutions at a fixed price. They are able to offer this client-centered, risk-free approach, based on their vast experience.
The LCS team is also aligned with world-class product development and verification specialists, who use the LDRA tool suite and other tools to address critical project requirements at the highest design assurance levels. By guiding certification applicants through the compliance process, the LCS comprehensive solution provides company management confidence that their certification efforts are accurate, complete, and fully compliant.
Leading the LCS team is Todd R. White, a systems and equipment FAA DER with Level A authority on all aircraft systems and equipment for both software and airborne electronic hardware. Todd’s expertise is flanked by Marty Gasiorowski, a systems, safety, software and complex electronic hardware FAA DER, and Dr. Holly Hildreth, a safety engineer with expertise in a wide range of US and international standards, to provide certification expertise in DO-178/DO-278, DO-254, DO-297, IEC 61508, IEC 62304, ISO 26262, IEEE 1012:2004 and CENELEC EN 50128. The team is well known and highly regarded in the certification community, playing an instrumental role in crafting the RTCA DO-178C standard.
The LCS team includes Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Designated Engineering Representatives (DER) and safety engineering experts, who offer product certification solutions at a fixed price. They are able to offer this client-centered, risk-free approach, based on their vast experience.
The LCS team is also aligned with world-class product development and verification specialists, who use the LDRA tool suite and other tools to address critical project requirements at the highest design assurance levels. By guiding certification applicants through the compliance process, the LCS comprehensive solution provides company management confidence that their certification efforts are accurate, complete, and fully compliant.
Leading the LCS team is Todd R. White, a systems and equipment FAA DER with Level A authority on all aircraft systems and equipment for both software and airborne electronic hardware. Todd’s expertise is flanked by Marty Gasiorowski, a systems, safety, software and complex electronic hardware FAA DER, and Dr. Holly Hildreth, a safety engineer with expertise in a wide range of US and international standards, to provide certification expertise in DO-178/DO-278, DO-254, DO-297, IEC 61508, IEC 62304, ISO 26262, IEEE 1012:2004 and CENELEC EN 50128. The team is well known and highly regarded in the certification community, playing an instrumental role in crafting the RTCA DO-178C standard.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
