In an effort to enable video and other multimedia content to flow freely to users wherever they want it on the device of their choice, ATIS (News - Alert) has unveiled a solution to securely identify and authenticate computers, TVs and other devices for connection into IPTV (News - Alert) networks.

The specification utilizes Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) Subscriber-Bound Transport Layer Security, a new authentication architecture that binds subscribers to devices using strong cryptography and is developed by ATIS’ IPTV Interoperability Forum (IIF). The authentication process between the receiving device/subscriber and the IPTV’s authorizing servers is explained in IPTV Device Identity and Device and Subscriber Authentication Interoperability Specification (ATIS-0800037).

“This solution enables IPTV services to reach across multiple networks and expand to wireless devices,” said Susan Miller (News - Alert), ATIS president and CEO. “Identifying and authenticating individual devices is an important evolutionary step toward delivering high-quality video and other multimedia products to consumers at home, at work or on the go.”

Apart from creating a device and subscriber authentication mechanism for each device to enable it to connect securely to different parts of IPTV networks, the new specification provides the format and syntax to create a globally unique device identifier. This capability is essential as it helps to more accurately define the roles and rights associated with each device as the business paradigm shifts from single-device static users to multi-device mobile users.

Also, to support the IIF’s Content on Demand (CoD) architecture as defined in IPTV Content on Demand Service (ATIS-0800042), the IIF recently published a standard to specify the data structures (metadata) and transaction protocols.

Recently, Cheetah Technologies, a carrier class, systems management solutions developer for broadband service providers, announced that its Senior Vice President Jeremy Bennington has joined the board of directors of the ATIS. ATIS is a leading standards development and technical planning organization committed to rapidly developing and promoting technical and operations standards for the information, entertainment and communications industries.

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