UIEvolution Japan Provides User Interface Design Consulting Services for Japanese IPTV Service, "Hikari TV"

May 12, 2008 — Bellevue, WA

The Japanese arm of UIEvolution® (UIE) a leader in rich client and server software that enables innovative service and media providers to deliver dynamic multimedia experiences to consumers on any network and any device announced a collaboration with NTT Plala Inc. (Plala), and I-Cast, Inc. UIE will provide technical and design consulting services for the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the new IPTV service, "Hikari TV".

UIE, user interface design and software specialists, will guide the development of a rich user experience, offering more than 10,000 VOD services(*1), 75 multiple program services and a Karaoke service with more than 13,000 songs (*2). "Hikari TV" offers the largest contents lineup in Japan. The GUI design proposed by UIE will bring a rich and interactive interface consistent with the design of Japanese consumer devices to the IPTV service. The new interface will encourage and enable search and discovery of the vast content available to "Hikari TV" users.

*1 As of July 2008
*2 This service will start this summer.

Overview of "Hikari TV" service
"Hikari TV" will provide Video-On-Demand (VOD) and IPTV including multiple programs for households through "Flets Hikari Next" by NTT East/West Japan, "Flets Hikari Premium" and "B Flets (requires Flets v6 application agreement) by NTT West Japan. Upon agreement by users, IP retransmission for terrestrial digital media broadcasting will be provided for "Flets Hikari Next" users. Users need to connect a receiving terminal to TVs to view multimedia. Also, VOD service will be provided by Plala, and broadcasting service will be provided by I-Cast.