Combitech Systems signs agreement with Nokia
Combitech Systems signs agreement with Nokia Nokia Multimedia Terminals and Combitech Systems AB have closed a deal awarding Combitech Systems principal responsibility for developing the software in Nokia's digital multimedia terminals for tomorrow's digital TV - MediaHighway. The contract is valid for several years, and is initially valued by Combitech Systems at MSEK 30 per year. "This is a key project in the field of digital TV, where the system software is the very heart of tomorrow's products in digital TV. It´s a market where we are facing strong growth both in volume and opportunities such as e-mail, Internetsurfing and e-trade," says Ola Svensson, regional manager at Combitech Systems. Today's agreement between Nokia and Combitech Systems means that Combitech Systems will be developing and maintaining the system software in current and future generations of Nokia's MediaHighway products. In the initial phase, Combitech Systems puts the vaue of the agreement at approximately MSEK 30 a year. Around 25 people currently work with MediaHighway projects at Combitech Systems, and the new agreement will involve recruiting a further ten. MediaHighway, owned by France's Canal+ Technology, is a standard for building software for digital TV. The aim of the standard is to enable the same applications to be used by all manufacturers' digital TV systems, regardless of origin. Mokia and a handful of other major manufacturers now have products for MediaHighway in several countries. Canal+ Technology is currently world in this technology. the system software being supplied by Combitech Systems is an advanced real-time system that deals with all the basic functionality for Internet and digital TV. Applications for a variety of markets and uses are built onto the system software. At the moment, the fundamental applications focus on TV viewing, and contain everything from simple channel changing to electronic program guide handling. Rapid developments are currently under way, which will enable applications such as electronic mail, Internet surfing and e-commerce to be integrated into these systems. Combitech Systems AB is a knowledge-oriented development company with cutting-edge expertise in real-time systems, including e.g. advanced systems and software development, electronics construction, business development and training. Combitech Systems was formed in 1992, and is owned by Saab AB (65%) and Enea Data AB (35%). the company currently has 200 consultants in eight different locations. 1999 turnover was in the region of MSEK 160. Like other companies in the Saab Group, Combitech Systems operates separately and to a large extent independently of its owners, although with easy access to a network of high-tech expertise. Some 80% of orders come from outside the Saab sphere. Customers are development departments at large and medium-sized Swedish companies in the Automotive, Aerospace, Defense, Medical and Data/Telecommunication sectors. Saab AB is active in the aircraft-, space- and defense industry and supplies advanced products and systems based on sophisticated information technology. The business areas are Military Aerospace, Space, Training Systems, Commercial Aircraft and Combitech. For further information, please contact Ola Svensson, regional manager, Combitech Systems +46 708 - 89 51 91 Bengt Rydh, project manager, Combitech Systems +46 708 - 89 51 83 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/02/23/20000223BIT00080/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/02/23/20000223BIT00080/bit0002.pdf