Arqiva And International Datacasting Corporation Form Partnership

International Datacasting Corporation (IDC (News - Alert)), a leading IP-based datacasting solutions provider, recently announced tie-ups with Arqiva (News - Alert), a communications infrastructure and media broadcast transmission facilities provider.

The partnership will enable IDC to support and supply Arqiva with its comprehensive digital cinema-specific content distribution applications, as well as remote site equipment. IDC in the past provided Arqiva with an initial network, which allowed IDC to enter the European market and digital cinema distribution service. Now, Arqiva will proceed to phase two of the operation and expand the deployment of its network to cinemas. IDC’s digital cinema-specific remote site solutions offer a powerful integration of electronic delivery.

With Arqiva’s Digital Cinema satellite system, IDC can now provide feature-length films, movie trailers, and live alternative content including sporting events, theatrical exhibitions, and concerts to the cinemas. Arqiva’s primary customers are broadcasters and mobile phone network operators around the U.K. and Ireland, and it has a solid network of more than 1,000 radio and television transmission sites, providing service to the broadcast, satellite and mobile communications markets.

IDC provides end-to-end solutions for the point-to-multipoint distribution, of multi-media content over satellite. Its portfolio of products consist of a wide range of advanced and emerging applications such as broadcasting digital radio, syndicated television, news and/or financial information distribution, IPTV (News - Alert), satellite news gathering, digital cinemas, broadcast services, 3D live events, and interactive distance learning among others. IDC products are fully interoperable with terrestrial networks, and are also cost effective.

"Our development teams have been working collaboratively over recent months to develop a platform that provides Arqiva with significant operational efficiencies,” said Barrie Woolston, satellite and media commercial director at Arqiva. “IDC has played a significant role in supporting our aspirations to become the principle network for the delivery of digital cinema packages (DCP's) in Europe and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their labor in the months to come as we roll out even greater functionality for our network partners."

The president and CEO of IDC, Fred Godard, added, "Digital cinema is a market segment in which IDC's mix of technical innovation and reliability are in great demand. We are gratified to have this prestigious network in our portfolio and look forward to a continued strong relationship with this important customer.”