ADB is a company we like to visit at IBC as it is often a pioneer in technologies. The company has performed something of a pivot, by moving away from making STBs and hardware to developing what it calls “Connected Solutions” and “Connected OS”. The company believes that it will be also be able to support the development of home services and the IoT. It is calling its IoT offering Personal IoT. The first customer for the middleware that the firm has developed is Cyfrowy Polsat of Poland. ADB also has sophisticated analysis and back end applications and that can support operators.
The front end of the new software can run on STBs, iOS, Androids and PCs, so that operators can meet the need for “everything everywhere”. ADB has a modern front end (called Graphyne) with impressive graphics and use of features such as transparency. In Q4, DVR operations will be supported.
As well as the middleware pivot, the company has been developing its “Business TV” solution which is for hotel applications. The Hotel Ruben will be the first hotel in Europe to use the software, although it has been used in the US in “tens of thousands” of rooms (we heard that it is close to 200,000).
ADB is working with Whirlpool/Bauknecht to support the companies appliances through its software. There is an app that consumers can download to control the timing of operations to use economy off-peak tariffs. The firm said that a user in some countries in Europe could save €200 per year by shifting the timing of washing operations. The devices can also indicate when a problem may be developing and service can be provided before breakdowns. The user can also be prompted to take actions – e.g. to use salt in a dishwasher to prevent problems.
