ARRIS works to help cable operators switch from analog to digital ad insertion, which includes both standard and high-definition (HD) advertisements. Its new clustering software, CORTEX, is designed to be used with ARRIS’s ConvergeMedia solution.

CORTEX utilizes XMS Flex Distribution Platforms with Streaming Media Engine 5.3.1 and Ad Control Manager 3.0. The software allows loosely connected ConvergeMedia XMS servers to function together as a single load-sharing system. This structure gives CORTEX better fault tolerance than other clustering techniques and creates fail-over resiliency by contrasting with external applications.

The company tailors its ad insertion services to fit with connecting screens throughout the family home. Service providers can choose between linear and dynamic ad insertion according to the needs of advertisers. Right now, ARRIS claims that its advertising solutions are used by nine of the Top 10 cable providers in North America.

Many cable companies face the challenge of reaching both digital and analog subscribers without duplicating their ad insertion infrastructure. The ARRIS platform delivers digital-to-digital as well as digital-to-analog streaming on the same platform.

In addition, ARRIS cues up ads so that they can be inserted quickly into programming, avoiding missed opportunities. It features built-in support for both HD advertising and targeted ads. This setup allows cable operators to provide effective advertising for their On Demand services while maintaining high uptime over both IP and legacy access networks.

The ConvergeMedia XMS series allows cable operators to scale ad streaming as their customer base grows and to transition to services like IP video delivery. The media can be delivered to any device from which a subscriber accesses the cable content.

ARRIS also manufactures tools for reporting ad delivery results. Advertising is geographically targeted and even household addressable. The system can support long form “advertainment” ads on free video on demand (VOD) streams.

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