Businessweek

Rovi Corporation engages in the discovery, delivery, display, and monetization of digital entertainment. The company provides a set of integrated solutions that are embedded in its customers' products and services, connecting consumers with entertainment. The company’s offerings enable discovery, advertising, and video display and delivery. Content discovery solutions include interactive program guides (IPGs), search and recommendations, cloud data services, and its database of descriptive information about television, movie, music, books, and game content (metadata). In addition to offering IPGs developed by the company, its customers might also license its patents and deploy their own IPG or a third party IPG. Advertising solutions include the Rovi Advertising Network and the Rovi Advertising Service, delivering advertising to IPGs, devices connected to the Internet, interactive applications, and advertising on consumer Websites operated by the company. Video display and delivery solutions include video compression-decompression technology (codecs) and content protection technologies and services. The company’s solutions are deployed worldwide in the cable, satellite, consumer electronics (CE), entertainment, and online distribution markets. Markets The company’s sales verticals include service providers (cable, satellite, telecommunications, mobile, and Internet service providers); CE discovery and advertising; CE video delivery and display; and other. Service Providers IPGs The company’s service provider licensees either deploy IPGs provided by the company, or pursuant to an IPG patent license, their own IPG or a third party IPG. It also offers operational support, content, professional services, and data. The company’s IPGs allow service providers to customize certain elements of the IPGs for their customers and also allow these providers to upgrade, over time, the features and services they could offer to their customers. The company offers IPGs marketed to service providers under the i-Guide, Passport, and TotalGuide brands. TotalGuide HD and TotalGuide xD are the company’s IPG offerings for service providers. TotalGuide HD provides an user experience that enables subscribers to see what's on their favorite channels, and to search and browse by program, celebrities, cast and credits across video service offerings, such as linear broadcasts, service provider video on demand (VOD), third party Internet provided VOD, and their DVR. The company has entered into TotalGuide HD licensee agreements with Bend Broadband, Buckeye, Charter, Cogeco, and MediaCom. TotalGuide xD is a discovery application that extends the cable video experience from set-top boxes to multiple mobile screens, including tablets and smartphones. TotalGuide xD makes use of Rovi Cloud Services, such as video and celebrity data, search and recommendations, user profile management, and advertising services. The company has entered into TotalGuide xD licensee agreements with Armstrong, Bend Broadband, Blueridge, Buckeye, Cogeco, and Setar Aruba. The company’s TotalGuide products also extend onto Websites, allowing multi system operators to embed IPGs into their own Websites, enabling remote recording capabilities and channel browsing from a standard Web browser. The company’s service provider customers include British Sky Broadcasting Group, Canal+, Charter, Comcast Corporation (Comcast), Cox Communications, Cablevision, DirecTV, EchoStar Communications, Foxtel, MegaCable, Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia, Shaw Communications, Time Warner Cable, UPC, Verizon, and others. It also has license agreements with third party IPG providers, such as Alticast, NDS Group, Scientific-Atlanta, and others. As of December 31, 2012, approximately 164 million subscribers worldwide were receiving a licensed or Rovi-provided IPG, including approximately 75 million internationally. CE Discovery and Advertising IPGs The company offers multiple IPGs to the CE industry, including those marketed under the G-GUIDE brand in Japan and the TotalGuide brand in Europe and North America. These IPGs are incorporated into mid- to high-end plasma and LCD