ISTANBUL, Turkey and SINT-NIKLAAS, Belgium, December 6 , 2010.  Newtec, a global leader in satellite communications, announced that PALS Electronics has successfully achieved the MENOS certification of its vehicle-mounted and flydrive satellite antenna systems for use with Newtec’s ASBU-MENOS OpenDSNG networking solution. The certification process ensures that the proposed solution is fully compliant with the MENOS OpenDSNG standards and can be used in the MENOS network operated by ASBU (the Arab States Broadcasting Union) on Arabsat satellite capacity.

 “We are delighted to join the MENOS OpenDSNG program and look forward to offering this solution to our customers,” says Fikret Guzel, General Manager of PALS. “This program will complement and future-proof our next generation of IP-based products by meeting the needs of broadcast customers with traditional equipment as well as early adopters of the latest technology.”

The award-winning MENOS network (Multimedia Exchange Network over Satellite) is a revolutionary all-IP networking solution for exchanging multimedia content over satellite. It enables fully automated, cost-effective sharing of video and radio content among scattered sites. For broadcasters facing unprecedented business challenges, Newtec’s MENOS OpenDSNG solution provides key benefits, including flexible multi-network usage, and significant CAPEX and OPEX savings. PALS’ integrated solution will work either in MENOS or traditional DSNG mode, with software in the PALS system controller allowing the user to select which mode to be used.

 The MENOS system includes a complete range of tools to facilitate coordination of video and radio exchange tasks while also providing additional IP services across the network. Advanced DVB-S2 modulation technology including Newtec’s unique LinkFlex capability, combined with the statistical multiplexing of data, voice, television and radio signals ensures optimal efficiency of the use of the satellite bandwidth.

 Since October 2008, ASBU and Newtec have certified several professional integration partnering companies enabling them to join different certification programs on the MENOS system. ASBU encourages all interested integration partners to offer such MENOS certified solutions. Broadcasters in the Middle East and North Africa are now able to acquire and use such MENOS certified equipment for accessing ASBU’s MENOS exchange platform or any other privately operated open platform.

 “This new certification demonstrates the increasing demand for powerful IP-based services in the Middle East region and in the broadcasting industry as a whole,” says Slaheddine Maaoui, director general of the ASBU.

Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec, says: “PALS is a recognised leader in the DSNG market. We are pleased to find in PALS an additional MENOS partner that believes in the same core values: providing state-of-the-art solutions around customers’ needs.”