Roverato, China Telecom and PCCW top awards

Raoul Roverato of Orange took the special merit award for outstanding industry contribution at last night’s IPTV World Forum Awards Gala at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington.

Roverato, Orange’s executive vice-president for new growth businesses and transformation, leads the group’s activities in content and Web services, including IPTV.  He heads up content and web product marketing and development, partnerships and acquisitions, customer experience, advertising, and country marketing and monitoring. He was recognised for convincing content owners to adapt their business models to accommodate the new and more flexible ways to consume content, as well as stimulating the creation of content with the three screens in mind. This year, he is heading up the lauch of a new portal for connected TVs with LG in France, as well as initiatives to develop interactive advertising.

Judges praised China Telecom, winner of the subscriber growth achievement award, for its high percentage growth over the past year, posting a 275% increase in IPTV subscribers between the end of 2008 and 2009 to reach 750,000 users. 
The Most Innovative New Service award went to PCCW for its eye2 wireless touchscreen tablet, providing TV and multimedia services as well as video and voice calling.

ADB won the award for Best Interactive TV service or Application for its work for Polish pay-TV provider ‘n’. ADB was recognised in particular for the 2009 upgrade of its hybrid DVR for ‘n’. Amino Communciations’s Amino Freedom box was given the award for Best Consumer Device or Consumer Premises Equipment. This is Amino’s Intel Atom processor-based device, capable of delivering over-the-top services. EchoStar’s SlingLoaded HDS-600 R hybrid HD DVR took the award for Best Hybrid Broadcast-IP Video Delivery Solution or Service.

Ericsson won the Best On-Demand Technology for IPTV award for its WatchPoint Content Management System. The Best Internet TV Technology or Solution award went to Cisco for its Content Delivery System, while the Best Quality Improvement Solution Award was awarded to Witbe. Netgem took the Best IPTV Service Delivery Platform or Client Software award for Netgem TV. The award for Best Client Software or Intellectual Property Solution went to First Media for m-QM, a continuous video monitoring solution.