Amino Technologies Share Discussion Threads

[dickbush] 10/7/2008 21:06

KBC Peel Hunt have forecasts

2008: PT: £3.45Mil eps:5.97p

2009: PT: £2.09Mil eps:3.61p

Analyst recommends SELL.

Shares are selling below net current asset value per share. I'm assuming they may be about to settle with the Patent Lawyers. Possibly the reason the head of technology left so quickly. New chief house-cleaning?

[the shuffle man] 09/7/2008 15:45

Can anyone tell me what the current market forecasts are.

With £20m in the bank and company making profits a market cap of £29m looks far too cheap

Sorry mket cap of 27.4m !

[dickbush] 09/7/2008 10:51

From TMCNet.com

Espial to Acquire Kasenna, Expand IPTV Offerings


By Nathesh TMCnet Contributing Editor

All of the outstanding shares of Kasenna (News - Alert), Inc. will be exchanged for a total of 4,722,224 Espial common shares, according to the company. Espial has said that with the completion of the deal Espial will work to support and enhance its relationships with all Kasenna and Espial customers, partners and channels.

Espial provides IPTV middleware and applications that enable superior quality of experience, fast application performance, carrier-grade scalability, and open extensibility, all at a lower total cost of ownership. Kasenna deals on open standards and an intelligent management infrastructure which allow service providers, enterprises, and other organizations to build commercial-grade IP video networks that support new and emerging video services.

"Video services are critical for service providers' success worldwide. The combination of Espial and Kasenna strengthens the leadership position of Espial in the IPTV (News - Alert), hybrid IP-DVB and hospitality segments", noted Jaison Dolvane, chief executive officer of Espial. "The IPTV market remains early and fragmented, and service providers are looking for clear leaders that they can bet on. Acquiring Kasenna provides us with increased scale, expertise, and product breadth and channel access to position ourselves as the leading choice for service providers worldwide."

Dolvane added: "The Kasenna team has a tremendous amount of depth and expertise in video. They've done an excellent job creating world class middleware and VOD products that have received industry recognition. For example, Kasenna Mediabase was ranked the number one video-on-demand product by MRG in 2007."

Kasenna officials say that their shareholders have welcomed this transaction, saying the merger would create a winning combination and agreed to a majority share transaction in order to participate in the growth of Espial.

The transaction represents 51.2 percent of the issued and outstanding shares of Espial and will represent approximately 33.6 percent of the issued and outstanding shares of Espial on an after-issue basis. 200,954 of the common shares to be issued in connection with the merger will be issued to certain key officers and directors of Kasenna.

In total, 753,545 of the Espial common shares to be issued in connection with the merger, company officials say, representing approximately 16.6 percent of the Espial common shares to be issued in exchange for Kasenna shares, will be placed into escrow for a period of one year following closing of the merger as security for any misrepresentations or breach of covenants by Kasenna and its stockholders under the Merger Agreement.

The combined operations will deliver integrated solutions with a predictable roadmap, along with continuing to sell component products for open and homegrown IPTV and hybrid IP-DVB video systems.

Genuity Capital Markets & GMP Securities L.P. acted as financial advisors to Espial on this transaction. ThinkPanmure LLC acted as financial advisor to Kasenna.

[motoben] 12/6/2008 12:11

thats a very nice golden hello to the new ceo, £800,000 free options if he achives his job properly, i do like the excise price of the other ones he has though £1.50

[dickbush] 09/6/2008 11:13

Better late than never.

No idea from this trading update what the first half's operating profit will look like. "The improvement in net cash balances (£2.3mil minus £0.3mil spent on buying in shares) reflects a combination of profitability AND IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING CAPITAL." Have to be satisfied with "...expects to report...a solid operating profit." Define "solid".

However, it sounds like we may be looking at an attractive EV/EBITDA, assuming the y/y improvement is to continue.

[dickbush] 23/5/2008 11:21

We should be getting an update on 1st half trading next week. Fingers crossed for continued recovery.

[dickbush] 18/5/2008 20:24

IPTV set-top box sales up 86% in Q1, says Synergy Research Group

May 16, 2008 - Sales of IPTV set-top boxes rose 86% worldwide in the first quarter of this year, according to a new report from Synergy Research Group, with the IPTV equipment market as a whole growing 45% globally relative to the same period of last year.

The report finds that IPTV equipment sales are being driven by upgrades to carrier networks, especially at the edge of the network. Synergy projects that global IPTV subscribers will increase "substantially" over the next two years to reach nearly 40mn by 2010, with deployments in China and South Korea especially developing at an accelerated pace.

"IPTV has transitioned from a forward-thinking play to an essential strategy for service providers to counter competitive forces and pursue lucrative revenue opportunities," says Ray Mota, Chief Research Officer at Synergy Research Group. "This continues to translate into dollars spent on infrastructure equipment providing intelligence and service delivery at the edge of the service provider's network."

Q1 2008 Total IPTV equipment revenue rankings
(Source: Synergy Research Group)

Rankings Q-Q change
Y-Y change

Cisco 1 5.1% 43.3%
Motorola 2 27% 147.5%
Alcatel-Lucent 3 5% 8.5%
Juniper 4 5.9% 24.2%
Ericsson 5 1.1% 35.3%

In the first three months of this year, Juniper ranked #1 in IPTV broadband remote access servers (BRAS), followed by Cisco and Ericsson; while, Motorola ranked #1 for IPTV set-top boxes, followed by Cisco

[motoben] 17/5/2008 19:22

if you had a choice between a dvr or standard set top box which would you pick? i know i would get the dvr

[robsbell] 16/5/2008 17:29

Good bit of info, Amino keeping the bulk of the contract.

[dickbush] 16/5/2008 12:09

I contacted Amino about the contract with SureWest. Apparently, Amino has only lost the DVR business. It retains the MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 set-top box business which represents the majority of SureWest's demand.

[dickbush] 24/4/2008 16:34

This probably explains today. SureWest switching to ADB.

SureWest selects ADB high-definition STBs
April 24, 2008 – Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB) has announced that it has been selected by US independent telco SureWest Communications to supply high-definition ADB-5810WX set-top boxes (STBs) for the telco's IPTV service.

SureWest operates a fibre to the home (FTTH) network in the northern California region, and its IPTV service offers 50 high-definition channels, while its data service offers symmetrical Internet speeds of up to 50 Mbps. The ADB-5810WX has DVR capability and can record two MPEG-4 high-definition channels while watching another stored on the hard drive. The unit can also provide access to value-added IP services such as video on demand and video conferencing. Product shipments have already commenced.

"SureWest selected ADB as a result of its proven ability to supply reliable, state-of-the-art technology," said Bill DeMuth, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for SureWest. "This is another crucial step in the continued success of our leading-edge IPTV service... The customer response has already been excellent and we are extremely enthusiastic that the launch of our DVR service will enhance our product portfolio, optimise revenues and provide our customers with a clear migration path to more advanced and competitive digital entertainment services."

[dickbush] 23/4/2008 15:18

NAB: Independents not without IPTV options, vendors say
Apr 17, 2008 10:46 AM, By Carol Wilson

LAS VEGAS--IPTV equipment vendors are sympathetic to the plight of independent telcos who pioneered deployment of the technology and now say they are having trouble getting advanced features. Some of those who were present here this week say there are options, however.

Amino's set-top boxes will no longer be compatible with newer versions of Siemens-Myrio middleware going forward, but the company does support several other middleware vendors, said Rick Sailor, vice president of sales. His company's message is that independent telcos would save money by swapping out their middleware.

"We are partnered with Minerva, Conklin, Orca, Innovative Systems, Thomson and NDS Metro," Sailor said. "If you are an existing Myrio customer, we have an alternative to replacing all your set-tops. We can re-flash the boxes."

The process can be done on an automated basis, usually in groups or nodes, with the understanding that typically less than 10% of the boxes will require truck rolls, Sailor said. "You don't get them all, there are always some homes where the lights were off or something, so there are some truck rolls typically to five to eight percent," Sailor said.

Upgrading to offering High Definition or Digital Video Recording capabilities does require an upgrade of the set-top box, but Sailor said that can be done on a consumer-by-consumer basis, as those new services are ordered.

"If I want the service, I come in and bring my old box, pay $7 a month to get a new one, and you give me a new set-top with HD and DVR,: Sailor said. "You are going to have to swap out the set-top box to get those features anyway."

Replacing Myrio service will also require mailing new remote control devices to customers, in advance of the re-flashing, Sailor said.

One of the middleware companies that Amino supports is Thomson, which has 1.3 million IPTV subscribers in Europe, mostly in its native France, but is just making a push here. Making the Thomson push even more compelling is the company's newly announced 4 Megabit per second MPEG-4 solution for delivering High Definition TV.

"We are offering an end-to-end IPTV solution from the encoding platforms right down to the set-top box," said Mark Marinkovich, director of market development for North America for both IPTV and Mobile TV at Thomson. The only thing the company doesn't offer is conditional access, which it normally gets from Veramatrix, he said.

Thomson needed extra time to make modifications in the product for the U.S. market, Marinkovich said. Those included emergency alert notification capabilities.

"We are now actively marketing the system, through Falcon IP/Complete, a systems integrator for Tier 2 and Tier 3 companies, and through talking to a number of customers on our own," he added. Marinkovich said he is aware of the growing discontent among early IPTV users, and is discussing replacing some existing middleware.

"The biggest obstacle there is that most of the companies don't want to have to replace the set-top boxes," he said. "We are working to support Amino [STBs] there."

In addition, Thomson will integrate with existing conditional access providers other than its preferred supplier, Veramatrix, Marinkovich said.

The company provides HD, personal video recording and a 20-channel Mosaic display generator that looks like a single channel to the operator but functions as multiple channels for the consumer.

One other advantage Thomson is touting is a single management system for its IPTV and Mobile TV systems that can work to the benefit of telecom service providers wanting to provide both.

[dickbush] 17/4/2008 15:40

Amino Touts ABI Rankings of Its World Leadership in Pure IPTV STB Market

(Wireless News Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)
Amino, an IPTV platform supplier, has been named as the top vendor of
pure IPTV Set-Top Boxes (STBs) worldwide by ABI Research for the third
consecutive year.

Amino has recently been ranked as the world leader in a new
classification from ABI Research entitled Pure IPTV'. The focus of this
segmentation is to classify and separate Pure IPTV' and Hybrid IPTV'
services. The latter typically involves a traditional broadcast service
(terrestrial, satellite or cable), coupled with IP for limited
interactivity and for VOD.

Making the transition from Hybrid to Pure IPTV requires that the
deployed equipment has sufficient IP capability to handle all service
requirements. Some hybrid systems currently available do not have the
IPTV technology elements to do this.

"We are very pleased to be recognized as the leading manufacturer of
Pure IPTV STBs by ABI Research. For several years ABI Research has led
the way in publishing comprehensive research and analysis of the IPTV
domain, including detailed segmentation of the market," said Bob Giddy,
CEO at Amino. "We are delighted that ABI Research will now include
Hybrid IPTV vs. Pure IPTV as one of the axes of segmentation,
differentiating enhanced broadcast' from the more radical and
innovative everything over IP' approach."

Cesar Bachelet, Senior Analyst, Multi-Channel Video at ABI Research,
said, "The STB is particularly important when it comes to assembling an
end-to-end IPTV solution, since it represents a significant proportion
of the per-customer CapEx. If hybrid is seen as an interim technology,
then what happens when the delivery mechanism switches entirely to the
IP domain? Service providers must ask this question when selecting an
STB. It's for this reason that ABI Research has begun to separate
Hybrid IPTV and Pure IPTV STBs in its detailed research, with the
latter increasing in importance as the value of IP-centric IPTV
solutions continues to grow."

[dickbush] 17/4/2008 15:08

SES AMERICOM signs up 12 new local telcos for IP-PRIME service
April 17, 2008 – SES AMERICOM has announced during the NAB show in Las Vegas that it has signed up 12 new local telecoms operators in the US for the supply of high-definition programming via its IP-PRIME service.

The twelve local telcos selected the HD-4 package to meet demand from subscribers for high-definition content on their already established IPTV services. SES AMERICOM will deliver its HD-4 package in MPEG-4 encoding, offering the choice of a 32-channel line-up of news, entertainment and sports programming from networks including ESPN, Disney, Discovery, CNN, Fox News and MTV.

"Our subscribers were demanding a full complement of HD channels and IP-PRIME enables to answer that demand," said Mark Reinhart, Director of Video Services for Hargray Communications in South Carolina, one of the new customers for IP-PRIME. "With the addition of HD-4, we remain competitive in our marketplace. The fact that IP-PRIME is an SES AMERICOM product assured us that the expertise and support of this service would be exceptional."

Among the twelve operators who recently signed up for the IP-PRIME HD-4 service are Chibardun Telephone Cooperative in Wisconsin, Home Town Cable in Florida and Manti Telephone in Utah.

[dickbush] 15/4/2008 13:16

Amino Recognized for Successful Completion of the MPEGIF Logo Qualification Program
Monday April 14, 8:27 am ET
Amino Receives Award at 2008 NAB Show in Las Vegas


CAMBRIDGE, England & LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amino, the world leading IPTV platform supplier, announced today at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, that the MPEG Industry Forum (MPEGIF) honored Amino yesterday for its successful completion of the Premium Conformance Tier of the MPEGIF Logo Qualification Program. Amino's AmiNET130 and AmiNET530 STBs became the world's first HD H.264 IPTV and HD H.264 DVR STBs to meet the requirements. Through its participation, Amino has contributed to driving MPEG-4 industry standards in the IPTV industry.

MPEGIF is the world's largest advocacy group for MPEG technologies, and plays a significant role in facilitating the widespread adoption and deployment of MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 as the industry's standard video compression technology powering next generation television and most mainstream content delivery and consumption applications including packaged media.

"Amino and MPEGIF share the same vision about the international open standard MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 and the promotion of advanced video compression technology, products and services," said David Price, VP of the MPEGIF. "We're pleased to see Amino receive the award for its achievements and hope others will follow their path."

"This award highlights Amino's dedication to developing the best IPTV technologies possible for our customers," says Rick Sailor, VP Sales Americas at Amino. "We're thrilled to be recognized by a world renowned independent organization such as the MPEG Industry Forum and hope to share this news with existing customers and prospective clients at the NAB Show this week."

In addition, Huw Price-Stephens, Director of Marketing and Strategic Business Development for Amino, participated in a roundtable discussion of the MPEGIF Master Class Conference at the NAB Show on Sunday, April 13 at 10:40am.

The panel, entitled 'How Tomorrow's TV might look ... Differences & Progress', examined how the future of television will look, and how the changes will impact telcos, cable operators, broadcasters and customers alike.

Amino is showcasing the following products at the NAB Show, Booth C1546:

AmiNET125: The world's first standard definition multi-codec STB designed for IPTV and Internet TV applications. This award-winning, advanced STB with a low-cost chipset features a combined programmable codec DSP and host processor. This enables development of new services to increase revenue per subscriber while offering protection against changing standards. With an Ethernet input and highly flexible audio and video outputs, the AmiNET125 provides an elegant and powerful means of delivering sophisticated interactive digital television including multicast, on demand video and internet access.

AmiNET130: The world's first HD H.264 IPTV STB to meet the Premium Conformance Tier of the MPEG Industry Forum. The compact, elegant AmiNET130 supports High Definition, H.264 (MPEG4/AVC) video streams and is modeled on the same award-winning design as previous AmiNET generations. The AmiNET130 provides the service provider with a cost effective means to deliver end-to-end digital High Definition TV as multicast, on-demand video and multi-room IPTV services. It enables service operators to offer stunning TV quality with minimal capital expenditure.

AmiNET530: The world's first HD H.264 IPTV DVR STB to meet the Premium Conformance Tier of the MPEG Industry Forum. On top of PVR functionality, the AmiNET530 offers low-cost deployment, advanced video codecs and the support of HD video and graphics, providing an exciting and dramatic viewing experience with great realism and detail. This demonstration will have a live feed from the SES AMERICOM stand showing their IP-PRIME service, as consumers receive it at home.

[dickbush] 04/4/2008 14:39

MRG's latest IPTV report notes market resilience

April 3, 2008 – US market research firm MRG has released its latest report on the global IPTV market, tracking the top technology vendors in six product segments, and notes that "surprisingly, continued growth of orders and deployments are defying the global credit crisis".

The new global leaders in each of the six product segments are Motorola, Alcatel-Lucent, Verimatrix and SeaChange, with two pole positions each for Motorola and Alcatel-Lucent. The report states, that while the global market leadership has changed less than 20% since the last report in September of last year, more shifts and changes are occurring within the regional segments as companies refine their strategies and/or absorb other firms.

"The jockeying within the regional segments reflects a refinement of the regional marketing and product strategies of each of over 120 ranked companies," said Gary Schultz, President of MRG. "Partnerships are deepening and companies are developing more niche products appropriate to their local needs, which drives local growth."

Len Feldman, Director of IPTV Analysis for MRG, goes on to say that: "The majority of Tier-1 Service providers around the world have already made their main supply choices... the vendors that haven't locked in very many Tier-1 customers have diminishing options for growth."

Companies ranked number one by region include NEC, TANDBERG Television, Harmonic, Thomson, Yuxing, Cascade, Sagem, Tellabs, Nokia Siemens Networks, BitBand, Amino and NDS.

The report, entitled "Global IPTV Market Leaders Report – March 2008", tracked the top 120 IPTV vendors in 24 regional sub-segments, based on an installed base of six video systems products in over 650 IPTV deployments.

[chrismisson555] 04/4/2008 11:43

Does this company have any relations with MOTIVE?

[dyardley] 04/4/2008 11:34

Good volume today!

[dickbush] 17/3/2008 17:35

March 14, 2008 – Mirifice, a UK provider of real time service monitoring, has signed an agreement, under involvment from Amino, with Russian broadband and IPTV operator Comstar to deliver the Mirifice MiriMON product on to the population of Comstar boxes.

Paul Tinkler, Chief Executive of Mirifice, one of the founding Directors of the company, said about the relationship "Partnering with Amino and subsequently Amino recommending us to Comstar demonstrates the trust we have between us, and also the confidence that Amino has in MiriMON by recommending us to a key customer of theirs."

Victor Belov, CTO of Comstar Direct, says "The start of the implementation is a very exciting time for us. We are initially starting with a base of 100,000 IPTV Comstar customers, but we see that number increasing rapidly. To date, we are very pleased with the features of MiriMON."

[dickbush] 13/3/2008 23:18

Beaten by ADB AGAIN.

[robsbell] 11/3/2008 17:24

I suppose they have to, its just the cost and time that goes with it.

[dyardley] 10/3/2008 18:56

Thy are vigourosly fighting it RNS on fri.

[robsbell] 10/3/2008 18:10

Marked up today after recent fall, no comment from company though I notice, maybe its no big deal this patent stuff?

[dickbush] 07/3/2008 16:26

I sent off an e-mail yesterday. Maybe it was the last straw. I'm glad they're coming out fighting. No doubt all the other stb suppliers will be looking at the outcome.