Senior solutions architect joins online anti-piracy services firm

Provider of online anti-piracy systems and an innovatve live watermarking system, Birmingham-based Friend MTS, has boosted its international professional services team with the appointment of Simon Hanna as Senior Solutions Architect.

Hanna is a specialist in video delivery platforms for Pay-TV and OTT (over the top) operators, with in excess of 20 years’ experience working with major video entertainment operators and primary vendors in the worldwide Pay-TV industry across cable, satellite and telco customers.

He has worked in management positions at Ericsson, Microsoft, Liberate Technologies and most recently V-Nova Limited, where he provided support to engineering, sales and marketing teams on its portfolio of IPTV and OTT video technology solutions.

Friend MTS has developed a platform, channel and content protection services for almost all of the world’s major Pay-TV operators, broadcasters and rights holders, to control where their video content flows for both live and non-live content across broadcast and OTT.

In the role of Senior Solutions Architect, Hanna will use his experience of product and solutions management, integration and deployment, and customer program and project management, for its content protection services and anti-piracy solutions.

“This is an exciting time to join Friend MTS, which is set to grow significantly with the global demand for its content protection solutions,” said Hanna. “The time has come for this technology, with the growth in the volume of online platforms and premium content that carries with it increased opportunity for digital piracy that costs broadcasters across the world billions of dollars every year. At one time, digital content protection was optional for many, but now it is a ‘must have’ as illegal streaming moves to a whole new level. The Friend MTS’ watermarking system is the most widely used in the world, and I am looking forward to working for such a technology innovator.”

Hanna will work as part of Friend MTS’ technology solutions teams delivering pre and post sales specialist support to its expanding international customer portfolio, as part of the Professional Services Team headed by Chris White, who comments:

“I’m delighted to be able to bring on board someone with Simon’s 20-plus years of professional services experience in the Pay-TV industry. With growth and interest in Friend MTS’ subscriber identification technologies increasing rapidly, Simon’s in-depth technical knowledge, spanning both OTT and traditional broadcast delivery for some of the world’s largest broadcasters and telcos, will bring huge benefits to the rapid rollout of our content and revenue protection services, and solutions for our global customer base.”