A leading telecom operator was facing a structural shift in its TV service ecosystem. The operator needed a solution capable of unifying TV operations across both managed and retail ecosystems - without relying on tools supplied by OEM vendors.

What was once a fully managed Set-Top Box (STB) environment evolved into a hybrid landscape that included:

• Operator-controlled STBs (Linux & Android)
• Samsung Smart TVs (Tizen)
• LG webOS devices
• Apple TV

This transition fragmented operational visibility, increased support complexity, and reduced control over service experience.

Figure 1. Diagram of a Connectivity App and SDK enabling unified TV operations across hybrid devices

The Challenge

The operator’s TV operations team faced multiple structural challenges:

• Fragmented device ecosystems with mixed OEM fleets
• Limited visibility into OTT app performance on retail platforms
• Rising support OPEX due to long call durations and unclear root causes
• Vendor lock-in risks from OEM-provided DMS tools
• Multiple dashboards and siloed monitoring systems
• Lack of correlation between device telemetry and application performance

Traditional approaches (ACS platforms, Android-only tools, OEM telemetry) addressed parts of the problem - but not the full service experience.

The operator needed to transition from device management to service experience operations.

Solution Provided

RT-RK delivered its Device Management Solution (DMS) as a unified operational platform for hybrid TV ecosystems. The solution consists of two key components – the DMS platform and the Connectivity Agent.

1. DMS Platform

A deployable cloud-based software platform integrated with the operator’s backend services (OSS/BSS, CI/CD, analytics).

The platform provides:

• Full device lifecycle management for operator-controlled STBs
• Centralized BackOffice web application for operations teams
• Fleet monitoring, remote control, and diagnostics
• Unified dashboards and KPI reporting
• Secure API-based integration framework

2. Connectivity Agent

A cross-platform software component integrated into devices or OTT applications.

The agent enables:

• Secure telemetry collection
• Real-time application performance monitoring
• Remote command execution
• Log collection and live diagnostics
• Correlation of device and app telemetry

Unlike OEM-supplied tools, the agent operates across:

• Android TV
• Linux STBs
• Retail Smart TVs
• Mixed vendor environments

This ensures unified operational visibility without vendor lock-in.

Figure 2. Connectivity Agent linking a Setup Box with STBs, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, and Apple TV devices

Key Capabilities Delivered

• Full lifecycle management for operator-controlled STBs
• Application intelligence across retail OTT environments
• Correlation of device telemetry and application performance
• Unified dashboards across hybrid ecosystems
• OEM-agnostic device fleet management
• Real-time QoS metrics and crash analytics
• Remote diagnostics and operational tooling for support teams
• API-first architecture for backend integration

Business Impact

The solution enabled the Leading Telecom Operator to:

• Unify operations across managed and retail ecosystems
• Reduce support OPEX through live diagnostics and remote actions
• Shorten incident resolution times
• Eliminate fragmented tooling and dashboard silos
• Preserve architectural independence from OEM vendors
• Gain real-time insight into service quality across delivery channels

Most importantly, the operator shifted from managing individual devices to managing the entire TV service experience.

The strategic transformation is reflected in the shift from a device-centric management model - based on ACS systems, OEM tools, and siloed dashboards - to a unified TV service operations platform. By implementing RT-RK’s Device Management Solution, the operator established a scalable operational foundation that supports hybrid TV ecosystems, mixed OEM fleets, and OTT expansion, while remaining prepared for future service evolution.

The result is a modern operating model in which device control, application intelligence, and service analytics function in an integrated manner within a single platform that provides full visibility and end-to-end management of the entire TV service experience.

Figure 3. TV diagnostics dashboard with health score and device performance metrics

Why it matters?

Telecom operators are transitioning from hardware control to service experience control.

RT-RK’s Device Management Solution enables this transformation by:

• Preserving operator independence
• Reducing operational complexity
• Delivering cross-platform intelligence
• Aligning TV operations with modern OTT realities