Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) and EchoStar (NASDAQ:SATS) have signed an agreement whereby EchoStar will become a shareholder in SmarDTV SA, the Kudelski subsidiary that offers set-top boxes and conditional access modules. As part of the transaction, EchoStar's operations in Steeton, UK, and Madrid, Spain, will be transferred to SmarDTV.

SmarDTV will build on Nagra, Conax and OpenTV technologies, as well as EchoStar's engineering and technology capabilities, to facilitate joint commercial activities. The agreement is intended to enable SmarDTV to deliver a portfolio of consumer devices to the TV broadcasting and broadband markets, including gateways, set-top boxes and conditional access modules, combined with Kudelski technologies for security, middleware and user experience.