SONIQ Joins Hands with 360 to Promote Safe TVs and Establish Applications Market

BEIJING, March 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SONIQ, the world's Internet TV pioneer, and 360, the largest Internet security service provider in China, jointly announced that the two companies have inked an agreement whereby they will cooperate on developing the applications markets for smartphones and smart TVs as well as open the market for applications specifically for Internet TV. They plan to combine their resources to create a smart TV application distribution platform with the best-in-class user experience. The two firms are also considering to promote safe smart TVs pre-installed with 360's security solutions together.

Established in the early 1990s in Australia, SONIQ has become a multinational media firm with a global presence. SONIQ, the world's earliest developer of Internet TV, became a household name in Australia and several regions around the world after setting up the international TV brand, SONIQ TV, in 2000. The firm took the lead in launching the first-generation Android-based smart TVs worldwide in 2010, signaling the start of its global expansion. SONIQ will debut at the 13th Appliance World Expo on 18 March, 2014, paving the way for its foray into China. In addition, SONIQ smart TVs, designed especially for the Chinese market, will be showcased at China World Hotel in Beijing on 22 April.

360, the largest Android-based application distribution platform in China, boasts over 300 million users and more than 320 million downloads of 360 Mobile Assistant. 360, a ubiquitous app in the Internet arena, has been providing Internet users with high-quality and free-of-charge security services for years. 360's security solutions specially designed for TVs are a powerful anti-virus and virus killer application for SONIQ smart TVs.

With the rapid adoption of smart TVs, ownership of Internet TVs in China is expected to reach approximately 84 million units this year. However, Internet-connected smart TVs are always vulnerable to security threats. China's smart TV application market has been facing several challenges including the ease of migration of handset applications to the new platform, lack of program compatibility, and complicated processes in terms of search, download, and installation, especially in the area of user input. SONIQ will take advantage of 360's security technology to launch 360's security solutions-embedded smart TVs both in and outside of China to provide smart TV users with a better Internet experience. The firm puts the application programs through the most stringent compatibility testing in order to assure full compatibility with smart TV application programs. SONIQ's dedicated remote control is a perfect solution to the complicated input process encountered by smart TV users.

The fast-growing market for smart TVs is quickly becoming the next battleground for applications. Applications for smart TVs are mostly adaptations of mobile applications in China and there is a clear lack of versions developed for TV applications. In addition to tapping application markets for smartphones and smart TVs, SONIQ's partnership with 360 will provide applications developed exclusively for TV to users of TV-compatible applications with a better smart TV platform.

SONIQ and 360 believe their partnership will create a smart TV application distribution platform with best-in-class user experience.

SOURCE Soniq Digital Smart Solution Limited