S-A Gets Closer to Keen

Scientific-Atlanta Inc. will bolster its relationship with Keen Personal Media by expanding its software-licensing agreement with the personal-video-recorder maker and taking an undefined financial stake in the company, Keen CEO Russ Krapf said.

S-A will expand its licensing agreement for Keen's storage-management subsystem software to include integration with S-A's middleware and application layer.

The set-top maker will also purchase a convertible bridge note and warrants to buy shares of Keen. Krapf said those details are still being worked out.

S-A uses Keen's PVR software and technology for its Explorer 8000 set-top.

Keen also sells S-A-compatible, 60-hour PVR sidecars.

Keen plans to offer a new 100-hour PVR sidecar and demonstrate a working sidecar connection to the Motorola Broadband Communications Sector DCT-2000 set-top at this week's Western Show in Anaheim, Calif.