World Smart-Card Based Pay TV Conditional Access Systems Market

This Frost & Sullivan research service titled World Smart-Card Based Pay TV Conditional Access Systems Market provides an in-depth analysis of market contours, industry structure, and the competitive environment. This study focuses on vendors that sell complete conditional access solutions, including head-end server software and hardware, smart-cards and software based client systems.

This analysis is available through our Digital Media Growth Partnership Services program. With continuous access to intelligence and resources from all seven perspectives of the Complex Business Universe, the Growth Partnership Services program ensures that you and your Growth Team??? are able to maintain a 360 Degree Perspective of the market. This comprehensive, objective information allows your company to mitigate risk, identify new opportunities, and drive effective strategies for growth. For more information on this custom subscription service, please click here.

Market Overview

World Smart-Card Based Pay TV CAS Markets Thrive in the Wake of Migration to Digital TV as well as Explosion of Interactive Services and Premium Content

The escalation in the number of consumers purchasing television sets and broadcast services worldwide, as well as the growing diversity of content created and delivered over pay-TV has revved up growth prospects for the world smart-card based pay-TV conditional access systems (CAS) market. The need for competent and adaptable CAS has never been greater, and the market is in a long range growth stage. Against this background, product innovation, system security and reliability, value added services, and geographic expansion are the factors that hugely impact business outcomes and competitive positioning. "The conversion of television broadcasting from analog to all-digital broadcasting represents a market opportunity for conditional access vendors," notes the analyst of this research service. "When this transition occurs, the number of pay-TV service subscribers that will require set-top-boxes along with CAS is expected to double, revving up short term growth prospects."

Estimates reveal that there are nearly two billion households with TVs worldwide today, yet only 250 million are pay-TV subscribers. In China alone, this number is poised to grow exponentially over the next five to ten years. The expansion potential anticipated for the developing markets is enormous. As for the developed markets, high-level innovation and product diversity should increase per unit revenue expectations. The Chinese Government is determined to wire as many homes as it can, targeting their over 100 cities with populations of over a million people and extending into the countryside. Connectivity, digital television, and all other associated services, including conditional access and content protection systems are viewed as a strategic priority in China.

Economic Meltdown Slackens Pace of Market Development

Though the current economic instability is a global phenomenon, developing countries are feeling the heat more than developed nations due to reduced consumer spending. The global recession is expected to directly impact levels of consumer procurement of televisions, pay-TV subscription rates, and the ability of vendors to foray into these markets.

Nonetheless, the potential for market growth must not be underestimated. Depending on the country and the region, the impact of the recession may be cushioned if prompt government action is taken. In some countries, cable, Internet, and other connectivity are perceived as a national priority, a logistical necessity, and a source of competitive advantage. Many nations are striving to fully wire their countries and bring these communications tools to their citizenry. Consequently, television access and television programming is reaching more markets, more households, and more people than ever before. This represents massive market potential for communications vendors. "Vendors that position themselves appropriately, with market reach into developing nations, and through partnerships, joint ventures, and direct sales efforts, should be able to weather the economic storm without considerable losses," says the analyst. "It may take a strong spine and much diligence to evaluate and commit to emerging markets, but those that do will emerge at the other end stronger, better, and with intact reputations and revenues."

Technology

The following technology is covered in this research:

• Content protection - digital rights management (DRM) and conditional access