JAPANESE DEBUT FOR IRDETO ACCESS

Irdeto Access has sealed its first sale in Japan and will supply its M-Crypt DVB conditional access system to Astem Co Ltd.

The Japanese company will use the Irdeto system to protect its satellite broadcast service that delivers the only broadcast station for hearing impaired audiences in Japan, as well as Astem’s other services such as business communications.

Astem is currently focusing on communications by satellite and mobile phone and is using M-Crypt DVB to protect its satellite communication service.

Astem is working with the Japan Organisation of CS Broadcasting for People with Hearing Impairment and is broadcasting under the name of Me de Kiku TV (which means ‘the TV programme heard with your eyes’). Astem has also been providing some Japanese companies with intra-company satellite communication system both within Japan and internationally.

Yuuzo Ohshima, president of Astem, hinted to future deals with European players, by saying, “We are very keen to work with global companies based in Europe, like Irdeto Access, as we think this will help us to bring a new perspective to Japan.”

Irdeto Access, a subsidiary MIH Limited, developed M-Crypt DVB for the digital broadcast environment. It uses industry standard technologies to support video applications based on the DVB standard for digital TV.