France 24 signs broadcast services contract with Ericsson

* Following a tender process, France 24 renews its partnership with Ericsson for a period of five years * The contract includes 24/7 operations and integration of new broadcasting equipment, including HD systems, for five studios to improve quality of service * Ericsson to support its technicians by providing solution-specific training Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and France 24 have signed a five-year broadcast services contract effective January 1, 2014, following a tender process conducted by the international channel. France 24 has renewed Ericsson's playout management mandate and scheduled the deployment of modernized tools, including new control rooms and HD studios. Modernization will allow France 24 to better meet the needs of the international TV market with enriched content. France 24 broadcasts news 24/7 to 250 million homes around the world in French, English and Arabic. Partnering with Ericsson for broadcast services will allow France 24 to equip its control rooms with more advanced tools and automated systems, thereby improving quality of service and achieving a double-digit percentage increase in productivity. France 24 plans to switch to HD during the second half of the year, which will require a complete overhaul of its five studios and production systems during the months to come. "We are pleased to strengthen our partnership with France 24 and cater to the needs of a leading 24/7 news channel," says Thorsten Sauer, Head of Broadcast Services, Business Unit Global Services, Ericsson. "The state-of-the-art production automation systems put in place by Ericsson will enable France 24 to optimize management of its control rooms and operations." Ericsson has designed a specific training plan that will continue throughout 2014 to ensure its engineers are well acquainted with the new tools. This contract further strengthens Ericsson's broadcast services footprint in Europe and France in the field of managed services for television channels. NOTES TO EDITORS About France 24, a media of France Médias Monde group FRANCE 24, the non-stop international news channel, broadcasts 24/7 to 250 million homes around the world in French, Arabic and English. From its newsroom in Paris, FRANCE 24 gives a French perspective on global affairs through a network of several hundred correspondents located in nearly every country. It is available via cable, satellite, DTT, ADSL, on mobile phones, tablets and connected TVs. FRANCE 24's new media platforms, which are also available in three languages, attract 14 million visits and 7 million video views a month. www.FRANCE24.com About Ericsson Ericsson is a world-leading provider of communications technology and services. We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time solutions that allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely, in sustainable societies around the world. Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within Information and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries. Today 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic goes through Ericsson networks and we support customers' networks servicing more than 2.5 billion subscriptions. We are more than 110,000 people working with customers in more than 180 countries. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2012 the company's net sales were SEK 227.8 billion (USD 33.8 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ, New York stock exchanges. Download high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video at www.ericsson.com/press www.ericsson.com www.ericsson.com/news www.twitter.com/ericssonpress www.facebook.com/ericsson www.youtube.com/ericsson FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 10 719 69 92 E-mail: media.relations@ericsson.com Ericsson Investor Relations Phone: +46 10 719 00 00 E-mail: investor.relations@ericsson.com France 24 signs broadcast services contract with Ericsson: http://hugin.info/1061/R/1757493/594070.pdf This announcement is distributed by GlobeNewswire on behalf of GlobeNewswire clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Ericsson via GlobeNewswire [HUG#1757493]