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SaskTel and Mariner to Showcase Impact of Proactive Service Assurance on OPEX Reduction at IPTV World Forum 2010

Presentation Offers Insight Into the Current OPEX Challenges Facing IPTV Providers and the Role of Proactive Service Assurance in Maintaining Competitive Advantage

Mariner, a leading provider of innovative IP video solutions and technologies, today announced that Canadian IPTV provider, SaskTel, will present a panel titled "Operator Case Study: Delivering Outstanding Customer Service" in the Minimizing OPEX through Cost Effective Customer Service track at the upcoming IPTV World Forum show in London, taking place March 23-25, 2010. The presentation will showcase how improvements to customer quality of experience (QoE), driven by proactive service monitoring, have been key to SaskTel's OPEX reduction strategies.

In back to back presentations, SaskTel CIO, John Hill, and Mariner president and CEO, Curtis Howe, will discuss the current OPEX challenges that IPTV providers face and why proactive service assurance is critical for remaining competitive in today's TV landscape. The sessions will take place starting at 12:00pm GMT on Tuesday March 23, 2010.

SaskTel first deployed Mariner's flagship xVu™ IPTV service assurance suite among its network and field forces in October 2008. SaskTel and Mariner are currently working on an expansion of their relationship.

Key Facts

• Currently, the average IPTV installation costs upwards of $540 USD, with truck rolls averaging over $200 USD each. The presentations will address the operational expenses of delivering IPTV and the challenges operators face in producing a high level customer experience. It will also offer insights on how operators can reduce their OPEX costs by incorporating proactive service monitoring tools into their IPTV platforms.
  
  
• Mariner's award winning xVu™ service assurance solution provides complete end-to-end IPTV network monitoring, including throughout the contentious "last mile" into the home, where upwards of 70 percent of network disturbances originate.
  
  
• In September and November 2009, Mariner announced the integration of its xVu™ solution with Cisco's Visual Quality of Experience (VQE)™ platform and Microsoft's Mediaroom™ platform, respectfully.
  
  
• Mariner executives will be on hand throughout the show in Meeting Room 9. If you are a member of the media or analyst community and would like to arrange a demo or a briefing, please contact mariner@marchpr.com.

Supporting Quotes

"Lowering high IPTV OPEX costs is the biggest obstacle that IPTV service providers face when competing for market share with their cable and satellite counterparts," says Curtis Howe, president and CEO, Mariner. "The incorporation of proactive service monitoring tools into IPTV platforms is a critical addition for providers working to keep OPEX low and remain competitive in today's TV landscape. Mariner's dedicated work in this area has been substantiated by a number of recent integrations as well as long-term successful deployments with big providers like SaskTel."

About Mariner

Mariner is a leading provider of innovative IP video solutions and technologies that deliver unique value to the expanding IPTV industry. Mariner's flagship TV care product, xVu, specializes in Next-Gen IPTV service monitoring. Mariner's architecture and toolset enables service providers to better assure the viewing experience, isolate troubles and guide cost effective resolution such as "smart" truck rolls. Mariner's frostt platform delivers interactive TV, social networking and self-service capabilities to the TV in a highly compelling viewing experience.