Networking company Ericsson has entered the video-on-demand market by launching its first end-to-end subscription service, NuVu.
In partnership with Nigerian mobile operator, Airtel, Ericsson plans to launch NuVu in the first quarter of 2016, to more than 30 million Airtel subscribers in the West African nation.
According to Ericsson, NuVu's content offering will include a variety of genres, featuring Hollywood and Nollywood movies, TV series, kids, music, gospel and education.
With the solution, subscribers will have access to around 3 000 local and international TV and film titles for a monthly fee and be able to download content directly to their smartphones or tablets, says Ericsson.
The Swedish firm notes NuVu will also be integrated into the operator's customer relationship management and payment systems. A core feature of the service is the built-in ability to distribute content to consumers during off-peak periods.
Thorsten Sauer, head of broadcast and media services at Ericsson, says: "The launch of NuVu is a significant landmark for Ericsson and is uniquely positioned to help our operator customers to address a significant untapped market for video content."
He adds: "Africa has some of the highest mobile adoption rates globally, with ever-increasing levels of investment and infrastructure. However, downloading is currently preferred to streaming due to connectivity issues. We believe there is a huge opportunity to open a window to a world of content through mobile devices that may not otherwise be easily accessible."
The service will initially launch as an Android app for smartphones, providing subscribers with a personalised user interface, bookmarking, and personal recommendation. Ericsson will continue to roll out the service on other platforms and operating systems.
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