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The folks at Market Ready High Tech PR sent in this news announcement:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Espial Launches First 100% Java Service Delivery Platform for iDTV DeviceTop suite and DeviceServer are now tailored to interactive Digital TV applications
Ottawa, Ontario, April 23, 2001- Espial, creators of software that powers the world of smart devices, has announced the launch of the first 100% Java application and service delivery platform for interactive Digital Television* (iDTV). The combination of Espial DeviceTop(tm) Suite and Espial DeviceServer(tm) brings a complete client/server solution with interactive, Web-based performance features to the iDTV market.
Espial DeviceTop Suite works with infrastructure software Espial DeviceServer to create a powerful, open service-delivery and management platform ideal for service providers. With the addition of the recently released Espial Escape(tm) 4.7 embedded 100% Java browser, DeviceTop Suite now includes a number of TV-specific features. New features include fit-to-screen-width; remote-control-navigation; font-flooring and high-performance zooming. With DeviceServer, the two products form an end-to-end service delivery platform that operates within a number of vertical market segments such as Internet appliances, TV, wireless, and automotive. Using this technology, different brands and high/low-end specified models of iDTVs throughout the world can view the same content and applications in a consistent manner.
"Espial now addresses the needs of the iDTV segment with the same Java software that has been deployed in mission critical systems throughout the market," said Jaison Dolvane, Espial president, cofounder and CEO. "The iDTV market is clearly ready to leverage the Pervasive Internet to enhance the entertainment experience just as other leading consumer electronics companies such as Intel, Motorola, Samsung, and Delphi have already done"
Espial technology provides richer, more dynamic services and features-ultimately creating greater revenue opportunities for service providers and OEMs. The platform includes a service management technology that enables value-added services such as:
"We surveyed the market for Java solutions and found Espial to have the right technology and business model to meet our customers' needs," said Uwe Dammann, president of TCPConnect, a German iDTV hardware manufacturer. "In particular, the high performance/small footprint of the Escape browser and the comprehensive security features for tCommerce have helped us establish a leading position for our customers. It is the graphical and security capabilities of Java applets which set the pace of the market's requirements. You just can't do this with HTML-based applications."
Espial is committed to open, standards based solutions. This includes compliance with the JavaTV API, DVB-MHP, ATVEF, ATSC, OCAP, ARIB and OSGi standards. According to Dr. Neale Foster, Espial TV marketing director, "Supporting these standards is driving a value-added shift from the often-stated 'content is king', towards 'exploitation of content is king.' The selection of Java by European, American and Chinese TV standards bodies reinforces the value that Espial is bringing to the STB developers and broadcasters. The OEMs and carriers are now embracing Java for its ability to deliver new capabilities for personalization, dynamic content management and cost-effective new feature roll-outs."
"Interactive TV is not only creating a new platform, a hybrid offspring of the TV and the PC, but is attempting to deliver a whole world of fresh content as well," said Joshua Wise, Digital Media Analyst at Allied Business Intelligence, Inc. "The immediate task at hand is to find the synergy between the tools that are being developed in the ITV space and the content that is most compelling to the consumer."
The 100% Java-based service-delivery platform from Espial harnesses the full potential of the DeviceServer infrastructure software for service providers and, the DeviceTop suite of Java applications. The Espial DeviceTop Suite includes the Espial DeviceTop operating environment, Espial Escape(tm) embedded web browser, Espial Ebox(tm) e-mail client, Espial Assistant(tm) personal information manager (PIM) and Espial Espresso(tm) GUI toolkit.
The iDTV-ready Espial DeviceTop suite and Espial DeviceServer are currently shipping. Free evaluation copies are available for download at www.espial.com. For further information, contact sales@espial.com or 972.980.7195. In Europe, contact saleseurope@espial.com or +44.1793 .698047. In Asia, contact nschaffer@espial.com or +81-6-6997-3666.
In separate releases, Espial is also announcing a series of new contracts concluded with iDTV OEMs in the North American and European markets.
About Espial
Espial is the first to provide a comprehensive approach to the development
of open software for the next generation Internet - The Pervasive
Internet. Partners and customers such as Intel, Motorola, NEC, Philips,
National Semiconductor and Sun are helping Espial to realize its Pervasive
Internet vision, where billions of users access highly personalized
information through a variety of smart Internet devices. Completely
portable across any platform, Espial software allows customers to quickly
create services, deliver devices and manage infrastructure. The technology
applies universally, across such sectors as Internet Appliances, TV,
wireless, and automotive. Visit www.espial.com.
Espial products are supported on leading device operating systems and environments with Java support including Microsoft's WinCE using the Insignia- Jeode, Linux and Embedded Linux, Symbian's EPOC, WindRiver's VxWorks and pSOS, QNX's QNX 4, Microware's OS9, Sun Microsystem's Java platform and Tao Group's - intent(tm).
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