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Thales Becomes Gold Sponsor at the University of Southern California’s Entertainment Technology Center

Dépèche transmise le 1 septembre 2009 par Business Wire

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Entertainment Technology Center at University of Southern California (ETC@USC), a non-profit consortium that brings together top entertainment and consumer electronics companies to listen to and evaluate consumer mindshare towards future technologies, announced today that Thales has joined ETC@USC as a Gold Sponsor. Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets and has a business line focused on digital on-demand in-flight entertainment systems for world airlines.

“We are excited by the perspective of in-flight entertainment and mobile delivery of content that Thales will bring as a member of the Entertainment Technology Center @ USC,” said KC Blake, Director of Business Development at ETC@USC. “We are looking forward to discussing how new technology is affecting media consumption while traveling, as we know this area is growing, and changing, rapidly.”

As a Gold Sponsor, Thales will participate in the Center’s Technical Advisory Board and project working groups. ETC@USC sponsors are able to participate in industry-shaping discussions and focus groups based on consumer and student research and to network with sponsors and board members, including the major Hollywood studios and large entertainment technology companies.

"Our relationship with ETC and its prestigious member companies is one way that will help Thales think ahead for future generation in-flight entertainment system platforms. Our goal is to both leverage and contribute to the collective ideas emerging from the ETC in the areas of media distribution, applications, and advanced video technologies," says Alan Pellegrini, Vice President and General Manager of Thales’ In-flight Entertainment business.

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets. In 2008, the company generated revenues of 12.7 billion euros with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners. www.thalesgroup.com

About the Entertainment Technology Center @ USC

The Entertainment Technology Center @ USC, founded in 1993 with the help of George Lucas, is a non-profit organization within USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. The ETC brings together the top entertainment, technology and consumer electronic companies to evaluate what consumers really want, which is then translated to the companies that make technology products. The ETC strives to show how technology impacts the next generation consumer, which will improve the consumer experience and will uncover new revenue streams for entertainment-related products. Along with USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, current ETC sponsors include: The Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, Inc., Lucasfilm Ltd, TATA Consultancy Services, and Thomson, also LG Electronics, Dolby, Singapore IDA, and Volkswagen of America. www.etcenter.org