S3 Group Selected by Starman for Live Service Testing

DUBLIN, Sept. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- S3 Group, a global leader at enhancing the performance and service readiness of video platforms across connected devices, today announced that Starman, a leading TV and Internet service provider in the Baltic region, has selected StormTest® Warning Center for live network testing of its video services.

Warning Center tests and tracks the impact of new service deployments in live networks across end-user devices, provides automated service validation, and performs remote troubleshooting – all through a collaborative, cloud-based system. It provides a continuous feedback loop, between development, engineering support and operations teams, delivering actionable "big data" KPI metrics on the availability, stability, and Quality of Experience (QoE) of services and new deployments.

At Starman, Warning Center is expected to perform more than 6,000 individual tests per day, to provide Starman's network operations teams with continuous, automated monitoring and insights into the service delivery and performance of its linear and on-demand services. For example, Starman will run remote test scripts to determine the impact of a new deployment on QoE of their live services, gathering KPIs that include audio availability, video availability, image quality, EPG rendering, channel change times, VOD access times, while triggering alerts for any potential issues. 

"Starman is committed to providing our customers the highest quality video services and adopting cutting-edge technologies to ensure that happens," said Hanno Liiva, Chief Technology Officer at Starman. "StormTest Warning Center gives our operations teams 24/7 access to real-time analytics and live service monitoring that provide insights into the availability, stability, and quality of video services."

"Progressive operators, such as Starman, are moving toward a model of continuous service testing on devices in live network environments to ensure that performance in the field actually matches the expected results of their lab tests," John Maguire, Chief Strategy Officer, TV Technology at S3 Group. "StormTest Warning Center provides Starman with the real-time, live service testing capabilities and business intelligence needed to keep its services performing well around the clock."

Warning Center is designed to work synergistically with S3 Group's StormTest Development Center, the leading video test automation platform. Whereas Development Center is designed to be primarily used by development teams to test devices and services in lab environments prior to deployment, Warning Center provides development and operations teams with ongoing test capabilities and feedback from devices and services within a live network.

At IBC 2015, September 10-15 in Amsterdam, S3 Group will be in Hall 3, Stand B39, featuring its portfolio of StormTest automation products and Professional Services with a focus on: Multiscreen and 4K Test Automation, Live Service Testing, and Integration Services, including Reference Design Kit (RDK) migration support. Additional information about Warning Center is available at: www.s3group.com/stormtestwarningcenter.

About S3 Group | TV Technology:
S3 Group is a global leader at enhancing the performance and service readiness of video platforms across connected devices. In both development and production, S3 Group provides unique insights through service validation products and platform integration services for multiscreen deployments. S3 Group has more than 100 customers, across 28 countries, including: Astro, BT, Comcast, Kabel Deutschland, Liberty Global, Mediacom, NAGRA, Swisscom, Time Warner Cable, upc cablecom, RDK Management LLC, Sky, Videotron, and numerous others. Visit www.s3group.com/tv and www.twitter.com/S3Group_tvtech for further information.

About Starman:
Starman is an Estonian leading telecommunication company that provides its services to every third household in Estonia. The company provides fiber-optic-based television, Internet and telephone services, and broadcasts on digital terrestrial frequencies provided by ZUUMtv, which is available in 90% of the territory of Estonia. Starman, founded in 1992, provides jobs for 300 people.

Starman and Cgates' revenues totaled 50 million euros in 2014 and, in the same period, the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was 23 million euros. The companies provide services to 860 000 households in the Baltics.

SOURCE S3 Group

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