Cgates, a cable TV provider in Lithuania, is proving that Eatsren Europe is ripe for interactive TV services via a deal with Cubiware Sp. z o. o. to implement the CubiTV middleware. The move is an effort to support its legacy services while rolling out new features that bolster viewer engagement.

Jointly owned by Advanced Broadband and SEB Venture Capital, Vilnius-based Cgates serves more than 500,000 consumers across the country, providing analog and digital TV, Internet and telephony services via a fiber-optic network. Cgates will deploy the CubiTV hybrid middleware client and will also utilize a CubiTV portal server to support interactive services. The user Interface of the CubiTV client will be customized to meet the specific requirements of Cgates subscribers.

"The Cubiware platform gives us the versatility to serve customers at all points in the market, from basic linear TV to advanced interactive features," says Paulius Dambrauskas, CEO of Cgates. "And Cubiware’s technical flexibility means that we can easily adapt to our subscriber’s changing requirements as they develop. We are not forced to leave our less adventurous customers behind even as we bring more advanced capabilities to those who want the latest technology. So with one CubiTV platform we are able to meet many different needs, which makes life easier for everyone."

CubiTV features an intuitive interface to allow subscribers to navigate advanced pay-TV functionality. It also includes a graphics rendering engine that delivers fast, sleek menus and program guides with high-quality animation, transitions and effects.  STB versions of CubiTV can be deployed on both modern and legacy devices, thereby minimizing the need for hardware replacement.

"Cubiware is very pleased to be working with Cgates to enhance the experience of pay-TV viewers in Lithuania," says Jakub Górski, CEO of Cubiware, in a statement. "This latest adoption of the Cubiware platform follows numerous other recent agreements — some in nearby countries such as Finland, Estonia, and Latvia, and others in regions further afield, such as Latin Americas and Asia. So clearly word is getting out that CubiTV combines power and efficiency with a simple, user-friendly interface, making it the ideal middleware solution across a wide variety of pay-TV deployments."

With the Cgates agreement, Cubiware has now been adopted by pay-TV operators in each of the Baltic countries.