Harris Taps Roundbox to Manage Mobile TV Data

Harris Corp. and Roundbox have signed an OEM agreement to deliver a complete mobile broadcast solution for U.S. terrestrial DTV broadcasters.

Under this agreement, Harris will integrate the Roundbox Broadcast Server into the Harris ATSC Mobile DTV broadcast system, enabling the first feature-rich mobile DTV solution available for immediate commercial deployment. The system will be available in mid-March. Roundbox is a Florham Park, NJ-based company specializing in mobile video management software.

Roundbox's software manages the delivery of ATSC announcement information, including an on-screen programming guides, and provides a platform for delivering non-real time services to mobile DTV-compliant devices. This solution will allow broadcasters to expand their portfolio of services beyond linear television to include data, text and video clips.

"The user experience is critical to assuring wide adoption of mobile DTV," said Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. "Our partnership with Roundbox ensures that broadcasters' assets will be delivered to users in a visually rich and compelling way on a wide variety of broadcast-enabled mobile devices."

"Our joint offering brings together Roundbox's market-leading mobile broadcast technology with Harris Corporation's broadcast headend leadership to provide a compelling, turnkey solution for broadcasters," said Dennis Specht, co-founder, president and CEO of Roundbox. "Together we will continue to deliver the most advanced solutions to help broadcasters deliver a broad range of compelling content-rich mobile DTV services.”