Canal+ Technologies and SCM Microsystems have announced an agreement for SCM to develop, manufacture and market secure decryption modules for the Canal+ Technologies' Mediaguard digital TV conditional access system (CAS). The conditional access modules, which are based on SCM's WorldCAM product family, will comply with the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) Common Interface (CI) standard.

An official release informs that this marks the decision of Canal+ Technologies to make Mediaguard available worldwide on a removable module compliant with the CI standard. Under the agreement, SCM will market the Mediaguard CI module worldwide, targetting existing cable and satellite digital television services operators using Mediaguard as well as potential new customers.

The market opportunity is the large base of set top boxes with a DVB CI slot for removable security. SCM estimates that there are already more than ten million CI-ready set top boxes. It also says that TVs deployed in Europe and the Middle East. Modules offer a high level of security and are easier to upgrade with new versions of the conditional access system as they become available.

The release adds that this represents an excellent market opportunity for operators to sell into and Mediaguard on an SCM CI module makes it possible.

SCM sees an excellent business potential in working with Canal+ of the world's largest providers of conditional access systems for DTV - and its customers, Europe's and Asia's leading DTV operators.

Today, CanalL+ claims to secure over 15 million digital set-top boxes in cable, satellite and digital terrestrial networks. Over 20 digital operators and broadcasters including Subhash Chandra's Zee, Canalsatellite in France, SureWest in the US, Astro Measat are using its Mediaguard system.

The release adds that worldwide about 350 companies have endorsed the DVB standard for digital TV security. Under the standard, set top boxes and digital televisions are designed by manufacturers to accept a security device known as a conditional access module.

Similar to the PCMCIA form factor used in portable PCs, conditional access modules fit into a CI slot in a set top or television set and act as a "lock" to safeguard broadcast content until it can be securely decrypted using a smart card key.

Consumers who already have an CI-ready digital television or set top box can easily subscribe to premium pay TV services without adding an additional set top box. The DVB standard was established in 1997, and was approved by the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC).

Canal+ Technologies claims to be an international market leader of digital television software, offering a range of flexible open standards solutions to TV operators and consumer electronics manufacturers worldwide. SCM Microsystems supplies solutions that open the Digital World by enabling people to conveniently access digital content and services.