SoftAtHome Operating Platform
SoftAtHome Operating Platform is an open, ubiquitous and carrier class software product that enables Service Providers to deploy multi-screen services for the Digital Home.
In order to play into the competitive Digital Home market, to retain customers and to gain market shares, Service Providers need to go beyond their traditional way of delivering services.
SoftAtHome offers Service Providers the SoftAtHome Operating Platform (SOP) so that they can develop convergent and innovative applications and deploy them across different solutions including gBox, ipBox, hBox or oneBox
Key components
APIs and authoring tools
SoftAtHome provides a set of API associated with an SDK (Software Development Kit) and all related documentation.
Those APIs are completed with Web Services. Web Services enable applications to be developed in a very simple Web environment. Thanks to SOP and the use of Web Services, applications can be physically distributed across different devices to optimize their use while delivering a homogeneous and richer experience to consumers. Applications using services of the HGW or STB can be developed on a mobile phone, a tablet, a PC, a connected TV, and so on. For example: an application running on a mobile phone can remotely control the PVR of the STB where SOP is running.
Core services
Services can be regrouped in 6 principal modules that can be assembled to create the different SoftAtHome solutions:
Access, Commnuication, Comfort, Content, Commerce and Display
Key benefits
The SoftAtHome Operating Platform delivers major benefits to Service Providers: openness, ubiquity and carrier class:
Openness
The SoftAtHome Operating Platform provides a complete set of standard APIs available in native C, JavaScript/HTML or ActionScript/Flash to enable 3rd party developers or Service Providers to create innovative applications. It comes with an SDK (Software Development Kit) that integrates with industry standard development environments. Web services are available enabling easy development of applications and easy hosting of the developed applications on various devices. Additionally, the solution support key standards (including Flash, HTML, OSGI or DLNA) to protect investments in the future.
Ubiquity
SoftAtHome has defined a Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) to specify communication mechanisms between the SOP and chipsets drivers. SoftAtHome is working with major chipsets vendors to build pre-integration packages to ease manufacturers work. SoftAtHome provides ChipSet Support Package (CSSP): a set of drivers adapted and pre-integrated with SOP. Platform Services are therefore independent from the hardware and share a common implementation across different chipsets. Those services are available across two main types of devices: Home GateWays and Set Top Boxes. SoftAtHome technology enables to support, in a closed future, additional platforms and devices such as connected TV or NAS devices.
Carrier class
The SoftAtHome Operating Platform has been already deployed across millions of devices by major Operators and is made especially for Service Providers, with proven scalability, performance and powerful remote management capabilities. The SoftAtHome Operating Platform provides a consistent and standard environment for provisioning new services, upgrading applications and firmware, monitoring services and quality. Manageability of home devices is a key opportunity for Service Providers as they can leverage their expertise and existing network infrastructure to differentiate their offering from other players in the Digital Home market.
