HASSELT, Belgium — Sept. 9, 2010 — Zappware, a leading developer of off-the-shelf and custom-designed interactive digital television (iDTV) solutions for operators and broadcasters, will preview its latest technological advancements for iDTV at IBC2010. The previews will include demonstrations of technologies in development by Zappware engineers such as the integration of Internet video content with traditional programming managed by the operator for a unified, multiplatform viewer experience; a TV Application Store that can be managed and offered by the operator; the use of mobile devices, such as the iPad™ and iPhone®, to enrich the TV viewer’s experience and enable interactive marketing and personalized services; and use of the TV as the control center of a truly connected home.
Integrated Internet Video
As the growth of Internet video continues, operators are faced with the need to provide access to this type of content. Enabling the consumption of this content via the television, as opposed to losing the viewer to a computer or over-the-top device, is essential to many operators’ business models. Zappware will be previewing technology that will enable operators to integrate Internet content into iDTV platforms that offer viewers the opportunity to select Internet video as they would any other value-added application.
TV Application Store
Zappware will also be showing how operators can join the list of service providers that manage and offer a series of applications, or widgets, that subscribers can use to increase the functionality of their systems. Operators that run Zappware iDTV platforms will be able to offer additional services via widgets that offer access to additional content or services of specific interest to the subscriber.
Multiscreen Solutions
Zappware will demonstrate how the viewer’s interactive TV experience can be enriched with a multiscreen solution utilizing mobile devices such as the Apple® iPad and iPhone. Zappware will preview a unique patent-pending technology that enables users to relay video being viewed on a mobile device to a television or to offload content from the TV screen to a mobile device.
Interactive Advertising
The use of mobile devices is also exploited in interactive advertising applications that enable viewers to instantly request additional information or, thanks to a joint effort between Zappware and LinkID, even redeem on-screen coupons with participating advertisers. The Zappware/LinkID solution combines the interactive television platform with a state-of-the-art user identity management solution that gives operators enormous possibilities for developing personalized content and service delivery. The identity management solution makes it possible to identify an individual viewer, opening the door to cross-media marketing activities and social media interactivity.
The Connected Home
Zappware platforms enable the use of the television as the command center for a connected home, powering functionality such as the control of home appliances or the use of the television to monitor in-home cameras.
“Our customers have demonstrated a desire to offer unified multiplatform content and additional services to their viewers,” said Patrick Vos, Zappware’s CEO. “The technology we’ll be showing at IBC powers this unification and lets operators earn new revenues while also reducing the likelihood that ‘cord cutting’ will impact their subscription base.”
