May 24, 2016
Streaming television and media company, Roku, announced a partnership with Cisco on May 16, 2016 to protect their streaming devices against security threats with Cisco VideoGuard Everywhere. Roku streaming players and TVs will now be pre-integrated with VideoGuard™ Everywhere security software. All devices currently in the marketplace will receive an automatic update to implement the new security measures. Furthermore, VideoGuard™ Everywhere will extend to the Charter Spectrum TV app, which is available on Roku devices.
“We have been working closely with Roku to deliver a lower-cost, easy-to-deploy software security solution leading to innovative services like the Spectrum TV app on the Roku platform. Charter has been a pioneer in the industry for downloadable security to give its customers more options to watch what they want on the devices they want in their homes.”
— Rajeev Raman
Senior Director of Strategy, Studio Design, and Product Management, Video Software and Solutions at Cisco
VideoGuard™ Everywhere and DRM
Digital Rights Management (DRM) services, such as Cisco VideoGuard Everywhere, have been around since the mid-90s when it became important for media companies to protect their intellectual property from hackers. From computer games to music to ebooks, each form of digital media has leveraged the protection provided by DRM systems. In recent years, the rise of streaming services and the diversity of devices on which this media is consumed have created new challenges for security specialists.
Cisco VideoGuard™ Everywhere is the first and only DRM system designed specifically for streaming platforms. With these challenges in mind, VideoGuard™ Everywhere provides agile and robust security for Pay-TV streaming businesses.
- New Business Models: VideoGuard™ does more than just protect what you have. It enables you to diversify and refine your Pay-TV business to include new business models.
- Subscription, rentals, or download to own
- Stream content between devices
- Digital rights for live events
- Single purchase, unlimited devices
- Content syncing for offline viewing
- Cloud DVR
- Global Operational Security Team: Across each instance of the DRM, the Cisco Global Operational Security team gathers data and intelligence for local law agencies to intercept and apprehend individuals or websites redistributing your content illegally.
- Multiple DRMs: Cisco designed VideoGuard Everywhere for compatibility. Cisco’s solution supports third-party DRM protocols and will integrate user authentication services.
VideoGuard™ Everywhere Supports All Subscriber Devices
In many past scenarios, unique DRMs would need to be established for each device the protected content would be displayed on. This wasn’t much of an issue in an era where media was often siloed to the device it was made for. Today, that is no longer true. The movie we watch on our Blu-ray player can just as easily be consumed on our tablet or smartphone. Content is no longer tied to a device, it’s tied to an application. DRM systems must adjust to this paradigm shift.
With VideoGuard™ Everywhere, you can extend your streaming services to any device: PCs and Macs; iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch devices; Android mobile and tablet devices; gaming consoles; Internet protocol set-top boxes; and connected TVs.
Cisco, Roku, and DRM Security
This is a good move for both Cisco and Roku. Through Cisco, Roku acquired a stable, tested technology developer as a partner and safeguarded their content for many years to come. Cisco is already looking ahead to changes in the way Pay-TV companies are going to disseminate content and intends to refine VideoGuard™ Everywhere to keep pace as the market evolves.
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