StarMedia Network, Inc. Thursday
partnered up with ISP Channel to deliver multimedia content to Latin America.
Broadband Internet services company SoftNet Systems, Inc. (SOFN), the parent company of ISP Channel, and StarMedia (STRM), have signed a strategic agreement to bring broadband content to Spanish-speaking America and Portuguese-speaking Brazil.
According to the terms of the deal, StarMedia will provide Spanish- and
Portuguese-language multimedia content to be delivered through ISP
Channel’s high speed Internet services.
ISP Channel and StarMedia plan to rollout their enriched content services
in Puerto Rico through ISP Channel cable affiliates Teleponce Cable TV and Pegasus Communications Corp. (PGTV). ISP Channel’s affiliates comprise a market area of more than 320,000 homes passed.
Betsy Scolnik, StarMedia network senior vice president, said the company is
committed to enhancing the Internet experience for Spanish- and Portuguese-
speakers around the world.
“This alliance with SoftNet’s ISP Channel is part of our strategy to offer
StarMedia users in the Spanish- and Portuguese- speaking world easy access
to content from StarMedia Network’s web properties, allowing them to
leverage the Internet’s full content, audio and video potential,” Scolnik said.
Lawrence Brilliant, SoftNet chairman and chief executive officer, said
SoftNet is well-positioned to deliver enhanced broadband services to the
Latin American market.
“This alliance with StarMedia offers SoftNet a significant marketing
advantage for our ISP Channel in securing agreements with cable affiliates
throughout Latin America,” Brilliant said.
“SoftNet is very favorably positioned to secure these partnerships thanks
to its experience deploying high speed cable modems in the U.S., its strong
management culture, its international experience, and the market
opportunity created by Latin America’s limited competitive high speed
Internet access,” he added.
Under the terms of the agreement, StarMedia Network will develop and
maintain Spanish- and
Portuguese-language portals for broadband systems deployed by ISP Channel
in various targeted markets.
StarMedia launched its broadband services in Latin America in September. In the same month, the company also purchased Webcast to deploy streaming audio and video services, such as sporting events, concert tours, original programming, interactive chats and consumer promotions.