Universal Electronics (UEI) has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Sky Italia. This makes Universal a selected remote control supplier to Italy's subscription television operator.

The agreement calls for UEI to supply technology for Sky Italia two-device universal remote controls to be bundled with its set-top-boxes. The remote controls work with the Sky digital set-top box - composed of a built-in satellite receiver - as well as consumers' televisions. The Sky remote, together with a Sky Italia digital broadcast satellite subscription, gives consumers powerful options to control how they watch broadcast content.

A company release states that UEI supplies Sky Italia with a version of the Sky remote control adapted to local requirements for common Italian television brands. Sky Italia subscribers can control virtually any television with UEI-based control products, which are powered by the industry's largest database of infrared device control codes.

The remote control for Sky Italia provides consumers with access to a variety of UEI's proprietary technologies such as single-chip Liquid Eelectronic Display technology, Macros and Hot Keys, which enable users to customise the remote control and quickly access their favourite functions.

UEI added that the agreement with Sky Italia was an extension of the company's ongoing relationship with Murdoch's News Corporation and BSkyB. The California based UEI develops software, firmware and turnkey solutions designed to enable consumers to wirelessly connect, control and interact with an increasingly complex home environment. The company's primary markets include original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in consumer electronics and personal computing, as well as multiple system operators in the cable and satellite subscription broadcasting markets.