Television phones to become a reality

Talking to your family and friends through your television could soon become a reality, if the set-top-box technology developed by Red Embedded Design Co Ltd receives the investment it is looking for at the Connect Yorkshire Springboard Investment Conference today.

The broadband videophone, which has been designed and built by an experienced team of ex-Pace employees who have formed their own company, Red Embedded Design Co Ltd. The videophone is a set top box device rather like a Sky receiver and will work with existing televisions and broadband connections.

The company are aiming the technology at the telecommunications market, and are already in discussion with several major European telecommunications providers and ISPs. While there are other videophones currently on the market, Red Embedded’s design offers better video quality than is currently on offer. The platform on which the videophone is offered will also support games, video, music and voice over IP.

“We have a prototype of the set top box and engaged our first customers earlier this year,” says CEO CTO Rahul Mehra. “There’s substantial interest in the product and we are seeking investment to enable us to take on more staff, build more units and cover the funding gap while the units are customised for our clients and made to order.”

The international broadband market is estimated to double over the next three years, something that should make Red Embedded Design Co Ltd an attractive prospect to investors. The company is seeking investment of up to £800,000 to secure its place in the world’s broadband marketplace.

“This is an excellent key example of the innovative great technology coming out of Yorkshire,” says Connect Yorkshire managing director, Simon Browning. “With broadband now readily available to most homes, the time is ripe for rapidly becoming a commodity, this type of application added value technology will make to make a massive impact on the consumer market.”

The Connect Yorkshire Springboard Investment Conference took place at Hazlewood Castle near York, where an audience of investors and professional services advisors gathered to see seven Yorkshire technology companies present their pitches.