IdeaNova Technologies Debuts Linux DRM Server and Updated InPlay Portal
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After being selected by Microsoft to preview the technology earlier this year and test its compatibility for the major use cases required by the aviation industry, IdeaNova Technologies (IdeaNova) has the ability to host its Microsoft PlayReady DRM server on Linux.
“Traditionally, Microsoft’s underlying DRM technology has only supported the Windows operating system,” explained Janne Pelkonen, CTO of IdeaNova Technologies. “Now, Microsoft has come up with a version of its software that supported the Linux system, and we have integrated that into our PlayReady DRM server.”
Pelkonen explained that as in-flight entertainment (IFE) servers are predominantly Linux-based, this new offering will fit into the existing server architecture of virtually all IFE providers, requiring only one tenth of the hardware resources needed to use the Windows operating system. “They don’t need the Windows server anymore, which streamlines their system and saves them from incurring extra costs,” he said.
In addition, IdeaNova has said that Microsoft PlayReady is the only DRM technology that supports hardware encryption on the Microsoft Edge browser, providing a higher-level security required by studios to stream premium content.
“Microsoft has come up with a version of its software that supported the Linux system, and we have integrated that into our PlayReady DRM server.” – Janne Pelkonen, IdeaNova Technologies
The company’s DRM server is already flying on over 1,000 aircraft, and it is also responsible for the InPlay Portal, the latest version of which was a finalist in the “APEX Best Inflight Entertainment Innovation” category at the 2020 APEX/IFSA awards.
Due to begin flying with an airline by the end of this year, the new portal enables both ad-sponsored video on demand and live TV content. “The InPlay Portal now allows passengers to interact with the onboard chat function and moving maps without leaving the entertainment player,” stated Juraj Siska, CEO of IdeaNova Technologies.
Depending on a passengers’ individual needs, they can change the size, font and color of their audio subtitles. Rather than traditional fast-forward and rewind buttons, the portal can instead skip scenes, making the content easier to navigate.
The PlayReady DRM server and the InPlay Portal don’t need to be used in conjunction with one another. Siska confirmed that the first airline to deploy the new InPlay Portal will be using a different back-end system.