TV2U forms strategic alliance to tackle piracy

London, UK – 6 May 2015 – TV2U, the leading content enabler and technology provider, today announced a strategic alliance with Stereoscope Cloud and Vector International to launch its TARA TV service into China. TV2U’s technology will be used by the Chinese Government to launch a state-owned video streaming service in a bid to significantly reduce piracy within the region.

TV2U will lead the alliance, launching its managed cloud entertainment platform, TARA TV, into mainland China. Hardware supplier Stereoscope Cloud and automation specialist Vector International will provide TV2U with knowledge of the market and centralised resources, as well as assisting with the development and expansion of the TARA TV platform.

Vector International’s software will also be used to introduce a loyalty scheme to TARA TV that incentivises consumers to use the state-owned platform rather than searching for illegally streamed movies. Similarly to traditional retail loyalty schemes, Chinese consumers will be able to earn points from shopping online or interacting with advertising on the platform. These points will be redeemable against pay-per-view premium content and other products and services provided through the TV2U platform.

The goal of the partnership is to provide a legal and cost-effective way for Chinese consumers to access Hollywood or other premium content without breaking the law. After launching into the market, TV2U will also be able to ingest local Chinese content into its global content network and offer it to subscribers outside of China, delivering local and Chinese-language video to nationals living elsewhere in the world.

TARA TV is an end-to-end managed streaming service that can uniquely identify each individual subscriber and the device they’re using. TARA manages everything from subscription models to security and encryption, and also offers multi-device support. TV2U already has established relationships with all major content providers, giving consumers easy and legal access to premium video, and since TV2U fully controls each streaming session it can cut off non-approved users or pirated streams very easily. This gives the Chinese government an effective means to counter piracy.

“Piracy has been a huge deterrent for Hollywood content in China, despite the fact it’s a significant global market,” said Nick Fitzgerald, CEO at TV2U. “But with TARA TV you can trace the legality of any broadcast stream and identify exactly when and where a device is accessing the network. If a copyright breach or unauthorised connection is suspected that user can be cut off immediately, making TARA TV a powerful tool for cracking down on piracy.”

Chiew Cheik Yee, CEO at Vector International added: “Partnering with TV2U was a logical step for all involved and represents an important phase in continuing our strategic growth. By pairing our existing technology with TV2U’s advanced global content platform, it’s possible to offer a truly unique service for consumers in China.”

Having an end-to-end view of how each user accesses content through the network also offers a range of advertising benefits. Through TARA TV, TV2U can identify an individual users likes and dislikes, when they choose to watch content, and on what type of device. TV2U can then dynamically ‘stitch’ adverts into content on the fly, providing highly targeted and personalised advertising that’s unique to each user.

The alliance is already underway and TARA TV is expected to launch in China before the end of the year.