BBC signs Siemens for digital content delivery

£80m deal for the design of a content platform

The deal is estimated to be worth £80m

The BBC has contracted Siemens IT Solutions and Services (SIS) to design, implement and support a new content delivery platform.

The broadcaster's Digital Media Initiative is intended to create a single repository for digital content accessible through any medium, from computers to set-top boxes and mobile phones. Siemens' responsibilities will include managing a library of BBC content and creating a system to relay data to a variety of different devices.

The value of the deal has not been disclosed but is expected to be worth somewhere in the region of €100m (£80.2m), according to analyst Ovum.

"As broadcasters and TV stations prepare for the digitalization of their content there will be more contracts of this kind," said Ovum analyst Cornelia Wels-Maug.