When we talk of middleware in the IP TV context, we usually mean the server side. In the cable industry, however, most of what is called middleware is pure set top box software client, which is mainly an operating system for the set top box itself. In IP TV space also, most of the set top boxes already come with some kind of a standard software running on it whether it is Linux or other OS. It runs browser and APIs and therefore lot of the times the application itself. For the sake of convention though ... in the cable world the middleware is the full blown software for client side only. The IPTV world middleware on the other hand is mostly server side.