Raoul Roverato, Executive Vice President for Orange’s New Growth Businesses, has won a Special Merit Award, which recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of the IPTV industry. The judges examined the roles that nominated individuals have taken in IPTV, and considered both the immediate impact and long-term legacy of their contribution on the industry and the wider market.

 

As Executive Vice President for Orange’s New Growth Businesses, Raoul Roverato is notably in charge of Orange's developments in digital entertainment (Orange leads in IPTV in Europe with 3.2 million subscribers in 6 countries, and in mobile TV with over 3 million  active users), Internet portals and services (first European player with 64 million unique visitors/month on Orange properties, 14 million unique visitors/month on Orange mobile portal, and 160 million unique visitors/month on the Orange ad network). In particular, Orange launched in 2008 two interactive, transmedia pay TV packages in sport and cinema/series, which has secured 663, 000 subscriptions by the beginning of this year, less than 18 months after launch.

The 2010 Awards judges said: “Raoul Roverato has been integrally involved in Orange’s pioneering deployment of IPTV since 2004. He has led several different projects to determine how to develop IPTV penetration, how to launch hybrid IP/DTH, how to negotiate premium content deals, and how to create interactive pay-TV packages. In our view, he has done a terrific job in convincing content owners to adapt their business models to accommodate the new and more flexible ways to consume content as well as stimulating the creation of content with the three screens in mind.”

Raoul Roverato, EVP, New Growth Businesses, said: “Orange has set itself apart by identifying, very early on, the opportunity to leverage our strong network with the richness of content creation to offer our customers a totally new experience in terms of digital entertainment. Now Orange is in a leading position to be able to deliver unique packages entwining the best of the telecom, web and content worlds to all connected screens, whether that’s a mobile, TV, netbook or tablet. I am delighted and honoured to accept this award.”

The IPTV World Series Awards Gala Evening took place on the first evening of the IPTV World Forum (www.iptv-forum.com) on Tuesday, 23rd March 2010 at 7pm at the Royal Garden Hotel, London and was hosted by TV and Radio personality Paul Ross. The Awards are the key social event of the IPTV World Forum, the world’s largest event on connected, hybrid & IP TV, which brings over 5800 people from 98 countries to London’s Olympia each year.