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Rising consumer demand for access to pay TV on an 'anywhere, anytime' basis is challenging service providers to adopt unified content security strategies that will support a seamless multi-platform experience, writes Stephen Christian.

The development of multi-platform distribution technologies means service providers must not only be able to securely deliver content to multiple devices but to support all types of protection that content owners require across different types of networks. Simply put, it's a matter of finding a platform that delivers protection to any screen over any network to meet any threat.

Such a three-dimensional content security solution must be able to draw from a range of security techniques including encryption, conditional access (CA), digital rights management (DRM), forensic watermarking and other protection schemes.

The platform must be able to dynamically apply the appropriate layers of security to each individual content stream no matter what network and device is being utilised. There are many functional details that must be considered as pay TV operators seek to implement security solutions.

The solution must not only be three-dimensional in scope; it must be responsive to all requirements in each dimension. Service providers need to understand the content security requirements from a network perspective, device perspective and content owner perspective to ensure the value of their network today and in the future.

Undeniable demand

Service providers have long understood they would eventually need to provide customers ubiquitous access to content. But the complexities of providing content protection that meets content owners' requirements across all networks and devices dampened enthusiasm for pursuing converged media services strategies - especially when there was uncertainty about how important such services would be to consumers.

Now, however, the right content security solution must be found, because evidence from all corners of the globe confirms that consumers want this kind of service.

Even at this stage, when ‘three-screen' access can be a cumbersome and costly undertaking for individual users, an ever increasing number of consumers are using the internet and mobile 3G networks to access content that was once available only via the TV or on music CDs.

For example, a study issued in August 2007 by Advertising.com found that 62 percent of American consumers now watch video of some kind online.

According to the Consumer Internet Barometer published in October 2007 by the Conference Board and TNS, 16 percent of US households watch TV broadcasts online, more than double the number registered six months earlier.

Meanwhile, industry analyst iSuppli recently predicted the market for premium mobile content would more than double in the next four years, growing from about US$20 billion in 2007 to more than $44 billion in 2011.

In November 2007, IMS Research projected that more than 36 million IP-enabled video devices that aren't set-top-boxes (STBs), including game consoles, IP-to-TV digital media adapters, Media Centre PCs and others, would ship worldwide in 2007.

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