World Vision: Can we start with the new Cox EPG and how Cox and NDS began working together?

Steve Necessary: The genesis of the UI project was almost four years ago when we at Cox began to do an assessment of our own and other user interfaces. The result of that assessment was that Cox stacked up rather poorly. So we began designing a next-generation UI, where the basic premise was that the amount of content that operators provide today has increased so significantly that the old grid-and-menu paradigm is simply unworkable.

WV: In what way is it unworkable?

SN: Customers can't find the content and the operators don't have the tools to promote all of it to them. A customer who can't get to the content can't enjoy it. After a lot of work, we came up with the fundamentals of a new UI and got the go-ahead from our management to develop it.

Cox partners with NDS

WV: How did NDS enter the picture?

SN: I'm happy to say that we were smart enough to look for an external company to do the coding, rather than doing it in-house. There's always the temptation to do it ourselves, but we understood that it was best to focus our energies elsewhere. So, we went through a tender process, assessed several companies and decided, eventually, to work with NDS.

WV: What was it about NDS that won you over?

SN: There were three reasons we decided on NDS: It had a lot of IPG (Interactive Programme Guide) experience, such as with DIRECTV; it had OCAP experience with customers in Korea and it had previous US experience with Cablevision.

WV: In retrospect, did you make the right choice?

SN: So far, we have absolutely no regrets. Both I personally and the company as a whole are very happy with the work done by NDS and the way our two companies have worked together.

"I'm very proud of Cox that we were able to make a candid assessment of our capabilities and choose to partner with NDS."

WV: At what stage is the UI project right now?

SN: Our scheduling is on track. We are currently on the fourth round of our QA test cycle and expect to begin technical trials by the end of this month. We should begin rolling it out to paying customers in September.

WV: I understand that the satisfactory progress of the UI project has led to further joint work between Cox and NDS?

SN: Correct. A few months ago we decided to expand our cooperation to another level, namely that NDS will be responsible for integrating a wide variety of network components onto our tru2way network.

Cox is part of an industry-wide agreement to support tru2way, formerly called OCAP. Previously, we were in a joint venture with Comcast called TVWorks, which would have undertaken a lot of the tru2way work. But TVWorks was terminated amicably in January this year, with the result that several activities needed to be done alone. We turned to NDS for that work. So, in effect, NDS is taking the responsibility as prime integrator for our tru2way platform.

WV: Was there another tender process before NDS was chosen?

SN: No, there was no RFP. We negotiated on the basis of our experience. It speaks very well of the relationship.

NDS as Prime Integrator

WV: Can you give us an idea of what NDS' responsibilities will be as prime integrator?

SN: NDS will be integrating all the elements that need to come together in support of tru2way. That includes the next-generation guide, which we've already discussed, the OCAP stack, overseeing the integration on Cisco and Motorola STBs, putting DOCSIS comms into the STBs, overseeing the integration of all network components into a network control system, integrating the servers from TVWorks. In short, providing the full tru2way environment.

WV: It doesn't sound trivial. What about the timing?

SN: We're on a fast track. The short-term milestone for the first tru2way STBs is July 1. The next milestone is the end of the year.

WV: Is there anything on the drawing board beyond the tru2way integration project?

SN: The relationship between Cox and NDS is likely to be ongoing, so long as it makes operational and economic sense for both companies. We expect and hope that the relationship will continue.

WV: Where does Cox's tru2way project fit in the context of the US cable industry as a whole?

SN: I'd say that Cox is in the middle of the pack. We're not the pace-setter but neither are we lagging behind. We do, believe, however, that our new UI will leapfrog us over most of the other cable operators.

Being the third-largest cable operator in the US, we sometimes think of ourselves as the smallest of the big guys and at other times as the biggest of the small guys. As the latter, it made sense for us to align with NDS. I'm very proud of Cox that we were able to make a candid assessment of our capabilities and choose to partner with NDS.

For more information:

Cox