Open IPTV standards needed to integrate NBN services

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 22 July 2009 09:48

IT Industry - Strategy

Video in all its forms has long been touted as a "killer application" for the national broadband network, but according to Ericsson the big opportunity is to exploit tight integration between video content and related services that will be made possible by open IPTV standards and the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).

Ericsson Australia strategic marketing manager - multimedia Kursten Leins, addressing the conference of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers(SMPTE) Conference in Sydney said: "Imagine watching your favourite sport on the big screen, and being able to simultaneously view your favourite players' information, as well as choose your preferred view and commentary. And then join a live chat session with other fans and sporting analysts without missing a moment of the game. You can watch instant replays and receive personalised advertising based on your own sporting interests, with the ability to purchase merchandise and related products and services all from the comfort of your couch."

Leins said: "The opportunity for highly targeted, personalised, interactive advertising and e-commerce will enable completely new business models and revenue opportunities for the media sector. This will ensure media and brands are able to connect directly with relevant audiences and individuals for product and service sales, all within a highly integrated TV environment."

However he says standardisation across the media and telecoms industries will be a critical success factor: in particular the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and standards being developed by the Open TV Forum, an organisation created in March 2007 with Ericsson as one of its founders and which now boasts over 50 members.

Leins' comments come in the same week that research firm, Park Associates, forecast the number of subscribers worldwide to IPTV services delivered by telcos would approach 40 million by the end of 2009, a 50 percent increase in 12 months. According to the firm's new white paper "IPTV and the Digital Home", the strong growth is due partly to aggressive provider deployments. However it says the most successful rollouts will incorporate multiple services, such as home networking, convergence in entertainment and communications features, and unique interactive services such as quality on-demand programming."

Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, said: "To edge out incumbent pay-TV providers, telecom operators must move beyond the 'killer app' mentality and be holistic in their approach."


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