Amino, and sister-company 24i, announced that on 3/8/2020 Youfone launched the first Android TV service in the Netherlands, providing consumers with a next-generation converged OTT, VoD and live TV experience on TVs and mobile devices. The Youfone service is powered by the 24i Video Experience Platform and devices from Amino, providing an end-to-end solution that enabled the Dutch MVNO to completely refresh its user experience and expand the reach of its TV service.
“The unique power, flexibility and breadth of the integrated 24i and Amino solution meant that Youfone launched the Netherland’s first Android TV service in just 5 months, rather than embarking on a major engineering project of a year or more if we had followed another path,” said Valentijn Rensing, CEO of Youfone.
“A key advantage of the 24i and Amino solution is that it is truly end-to-end: covering all the functions we need from content ingest, encoding and transcoding, management, customer care, content distribution, all the software required from front-end to back end and even the set-top boxes serving our TV viewing customers,” concluded Rensing.
Powered by the 24i Video Experience Platform, Amino 7x Android set-top boxes, and Amino OS, this is the first deployment of the joint 24i and Amino cloud-based solution which enables video delivery from any source to any device.
Youfone, whose TV service was initially launched in 2017, tapped 24i and Amino in December 2019 to deliver an expanded TV and OTT offering. 24i and Amino partnered to provide everything the Youfone service required, from smart Set-Top-Box (STB) hardware, service management, a robust backend, and an intuitive UI layer. Functionality includes transcoding, middleware, CDN, and front-end applications for Android, iOS phones, and tablets; enabling live TV, catchup, restart and nPVR for approximately 100 channels. This is the first joint deployment announced since 24i became an Amino Technologies group company in July 2019.
The turnkey, multiscreen solution provides Youfone with the operational flexibility to deliver local or hosted live and on-demand streaming content to any device and platform, including Linux and Android TV. The hardware product deployment runs on AminoOS, all managed through Amino SM Engage, Amino’s cloud-based service management platform.
The solution is a hybrid cloud deployment taking advantage of on-premise private cloud services for 24/7 headend services that minimize infrastructure cost and public cloud services to maximize flexibility. It provides Youfone with nimble, modular operational services, ranging from content ingest, infrastructure, capacity, load, API and front-end monitoring, to change management and 3rd party support.
“The innovative 24i and Amino solutions combined with the expertise of our teams enabled Youfone to launch an advanced Android TV service powered by the 24i Video Experience Platform and replace their existing set-tops with the advanced Amino 7x devices,” said Donald McGarva, Amino Group Chief Executive Officer.
“Traditionally, launching an advanced modern converged OTT, VoD and Live TV service would take a year or more and would be technically demanding. Before the 24i Video Experience Platform (VEP), companies such as Youfone were faced with the choice between over-engineered single vendor systems, smaller single-vendor solutions with gaps in functionality, or the complications and delays associated in dealing with multiple vendors. Getting Youfone up and running with the Netherland’s first major Android TV service so quickly proves that VEP is the ideal solution for today’s multiscreen market conditions,” concluded McGarva.
About Amino Communications
Amino is a global leader in media and entertainment technology solutions and an IPTV pioneer, working with over 250 operators in 100-plus countries. Drawing on more than 20 years’ experience delivering IP/cloud innovation, Amino enables operators to meet the challenges they face as broadcast TV and online video moves to an all-IP future with managed over-the-top (OTT) offerings. Amino is an expert in software, hardware, and cloud implementation and deploys its leading-edge technologies and integrates these with third-party and ‘upcycled’ legacy systems. At the forefront of the evolution of TV Everywhere, Amino helps operators to provide the features and functionality modern consumers are looking for in a multiscreen, multi-device entertainment world. The result is a fresh consumer offering with a consistent user experience across all screens, building brand reputation, stemming churn, growing subscribers and increasing average revenue per user (ARPU).
Amino Communications is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amino Technologies PLC and listed on the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market (AIM: symbol AMO), with headquarters in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and global offices in California, Finland, Hong Kong, and Portugal.
About 24i
24i is the Video Experience Company. We are continuously innovating to deliver the next-generation of applications, interfaces, and experiences demanded by discerning video service providers. We get it. Video is engaging, so the way you access it must be equally compelling.
Our award-winning Video Experience Platform and portfolio of solutions and services power Pay-TV, OTT, and direct to consumer video services of successful entertainment brands around the world.
24i embodies the Dutch spirit – we work hard, innovate, and explore. Headquartered in Amsterdam, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Guadalajara, Buenos Aires, Brno, Helsinki and Madrid, 24i is a group company of Amino Technologies plc.
About Youfone
Youfone is an independent telecom provider launched in 2008. Developing innovative products and smart services for customers allows Youfone to differentiate itself from their competitors with competitive pricing on mobile and fixed services. This strategy has proven to be successful, since the customer base has significantly increased over the years.
