13 January, 2021
Opinion pieces
This is a guest post by Vladimir Uhrovic, Senior Designer at Slovak Telecom
A customer talking about their experience with you is worth ten times that which you write or say about yourself . David J. Greer, Author
The beginning The story begins in 2007 when Slovak Telekom, a major Slovak fix line operator, deployed an IPTV solution based on Microsoft Mediaroom platform. Even though we were TV enthusiasts, we had at that time almost no experience with providing TV services, so we had to learn on-the-fly.
The challenge of the new IPTV solution We found out very quickly that providing such a service without proper monitoring is practically impossible. In 2008 we did a tender for IPTV monitoring and Agama was the winner. They were the only ones who could fulfill our requirements as well as being cost-effective.
How did Agama solution help on the new TV service journey? The deployment was about forty Agama probes all over the network and Agama Enterprise server, covering all that into one central point. The Enterprise server provides real-time aggregation, alarms and data storage but also features an application platform, which provides core application with different interfaces for system management, technical operations and reporting.
We also did the integration with ST umbrella management IBM Netcool. The idea of Agama deployment was to monitor all multicast IPTV streams in different points in the network. We had probes in signal acquisition to see the quality of the signal we are ingesting. Then we put them also behind encoders, to be able to evaluate the quality of the encoding process. The important point was the encrypted output of the IPTV platform itself and finally more points in the IP/MPLS network in order to cover the whole topology (at that time already quite complex).
What was monitored and how? All the streams were monitored according to ETSI recommendations TR 101 290 Priority 1 ,2, 3 and also video inspection quality (picture freeze, black screen, macro blocking/ pixelation, no audio, network parameters etc.) was performed in those places where the signal in the network was not scrambled with DRM (e.g. in the head-end).
Of course, Agama also presented us with an excellent solution where SW probe is installed directly into STB to have a comprehensive, full end-to-end QoE. Unfortunately, this was not possible for us due to the closed proprietary MS solution.
The promised solution was not just a dream, but it became a reality After a short time, we were sure that we made the right choice. Agama was really helpful in the beginnings of our TV experiences and also during years of daily TV services operation. As we have optimized our network, we have been able to efficiently move monitoring capacity where we need it to place it. In 2017 we also introduced Agama OTT probes where we are able to monitor our OTT services for two countries (T-Mobile Czech and Slovak Telekom) with only few probes. We are already benefiting from the existing Enterprise server, which was able to cover both IPTV and OTT probes.
Currently, we are using Agama monitoring in daily operations. Our NOC people have dedicated monitors where they can see customized dashboards with a global view 24/7. In case of any alarm or deviation, they can quickly locate the problem and solve it together with ST operations. Of course, also ST operation is using Agama monitoring in case of troubleshooting. They do have a dedicated probe where they connect new or suspicious streams and doing deep dive inspection - whenever necessary.
The signs of success Over the past years, the Agama solution has proven itself to be the perfect fit for our TV service and it helped us a lot in providing quality streaming to our customers. We were able to integrate it very easily in our network, as it is made to be flexible and straightforward to set up. We now have an easy way to monitor and troubleshoot our IPTV and OTT network, which makes our Operations team's life much easier. We appreciate the regular updates, the useful improvements but also the good communication, fair attitude, and excellent level of support. As the OTT services are being more and more popular, we have to give appropriate attention to this growing part of our business.
Our collaboration is very successful, and we look forward to continuing for the years to come. For 2021 we plan an additional extension for OTT solution in order to be able to cover all streams and profiles.
Share this:
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
06/03/2026
Ten years after its release, South African hip-hop artist Kwesta's DaKAR II is still making waves. With 51.8 million streams on Spotify, the album continues...
06/03/2026
06 Mar 2026
VEON and JazzWorld Advance Pakistan's Digital Financial Future ...
06/03/2026
Friday 6 March 2026
Teaser revealed for Saturday Night Live UKTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy options and select Accept All'.
Privacy...
06/03/2026
Discover how the F1 sound team turned a real Grand Prix into a cinematic experience.
Director Joseph Kosinski and his team worked directly with the Formula On...
06/03/2026
Arvato Systems Joins Initiative D21 e. V.
Shaping digital transformation together
Collaboration in Germanys largest network for the digital society
Membersh...
06/03/2026
The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is a global initiative dedicated to c...
06/03/2026
We are deeply saddened to hear the very sad news of the death of our friend and colleague, John McHugh. John was an exceptionally talented creative leader who s...
06/03/2026
First exclusive look at RT 's promo as Ireland prepare to take on Czechia
Every Moment, Every Generation
https://youtu.be/2ijo96EadLU
36 years after Geor...
05/03/2026
A little over a year ago, Spotify introduced the quarterly Creator Milestone Awa...
05/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz enables rapid validation of next-gen Wi-Fi 8 networking platform...
05/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz acquires Software Radio Systems (SRS), specialists in software d...
05/03/2026
Celebrating 21 Years of the RT Choice Music Prize
RT Choice Music Prize
In association with IMRO and IRMA
RT Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2...
05/03/2026
Thursday 5 March 2026
Sky News secures ninth News Channel of the Year award as ...
05/03/2026
Thursday 5 March 2026
Sky Sports launches first ever nationwide creator competi...
05/03/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 5, 2026 - At the 2026 NAB Show, Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT)...
05/03/2026
Comscore and Yahoo DSP Partner to Advance CTV Political Advertising with Proximi...
04/03/2026
For many fans, a song's backstory can be just as compelling as the final pro...
04/03/2026
In 2006, Spotify was founded on the belief that technology could bring artists a...
04/03/2026
Spotify is back on the ground for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and we&#...
04/03/2026
Spotify had an energizing week in Sydney, Australia, filled with powerful conver...
04/03/2026
Earlier this year, we launched Directed By, a documentary-style series that pull...
04/03/2026
KT and Rohde & Schwarz to showcase AI-enhanced radio transmission performance In a joint 6G AI proof-of-concept demonstration, the CMX500 one-box tester from ...
04/03/2026
Luxembourg, 3 March 2026 - SES S.A. has today published its 2025 Annual Report, following the announcement of the company's full year financial results for ...
04/03/2026
Luxembourg, March 3, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, along with I...
04/03/2026
04 Mar 2026
VEON Partners with GSMA Innovation Fund to Accelerate Digital Innov...
04/03/2026
04 Mar 2026
VEON's Beeline Uzbekistan and Rakuten Symphony Partner for Open...
04/03/2026
Wednesday 4 March 2026
Sky Sports unveils plans for 2026 Formula 1 coverage
Sky Sports is preparing for one of the most highly anticipated F1 seasons in recen...
03/03/2026
For many, finding time or headspace to pick up a book can feel out of reach, but...
03/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Realtek demonstrate first test solution for Bluetooth LE Hi...
03/03/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
03/03/2026
Luxembourg, 2 March 2026 -- SES S.A. fully consolidates Intelsat from 17 July 2025 and announces financial results for the year ended 31 December 2025
FY25 Pe...
03/03/2026
RT is proud to support a rich and diverse programme of arts and cultural events taking place across Ireland throughout March 2026. This month brings a remarkab...
03/03/2026
03 Mar 2026
VEON and MeetKai Expand Collaboration to Explore Sovereign AI Infra...
03/03/2026
Tuesday 3 March 2026
Sky releases official trailer for The Miniature Wife, a Sk...
03/03/2026
Tuesday 3 March 2026
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac land first ever live commentary ...
03/03/2026
Tuesday 3 March 2026
The Dyers' Caravan Park reopens for a second season after a hit launch on Sky
The Dyers' Caravan Park
JPEG (510KB)
Sky books a ...
03/03/2026
Harmonic's cOS Virtualized Broadband Platform Simplifies Network Operations, Lowers Hardware Dependency and Enables Seamless DOCSIS and Fiber Growth SAN JO...
03/03/2026
Comscore to Announce Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial ResultsRESTON, VA, March 3, 2026 Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for plannin...
03/03/2026
Self-taught on iMovie, Hanagami transitioned to Final Cut Pro in 2009, discovering that professional tools could give him full creative control over how his wor...
03/03/2026
RT Media Sales has announced Spry Finance has renewed it's sponsorship of M...
02/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...
02/03/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...
02/03/2026
Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...
02/03/2026
Monday 2 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team
L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...
13 January, 2021
