OpenTV Converges With Major Broadcasters
newsbytes.com
By Martin Stone, Newsbytes
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A.,
25 Oct 1999, 6:53 AM CST
The Internet and family TV viewing are about to converge even more, according to
announcements today from OpenTV. The set-top digital interactive software maker
said it has signed agreements with America Online Inc., [NYSE:AOL], Time Warner
Inc.'s [NYSE:TWX] Warner Brothers and Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) units,
and News Corp. [NYSE:NWS].
Warner Bros. and TBS have formed a strategic alliance with OpenTV to develop and
market enhanced interactive television applications worldwide, including interactive
communication channels and e-commerce, the company said.
OpenTV said the initial focus will enhance a wide range of TBS Inc. and Warner Bros.
programming genres with interactive features and will be followed by mutual plans to
market interactive applications to other companies, and to jointly market enhanced
interactive TV applications to cable, satellite and terrestrial broadcast operators.
The company added its agreement with AOL will team OpenTV with the giant Internet
service provider to bring some of AOL's most popular communications features,
including e-mail and instant messaging, to the OpenTV platform.
News Corp. will make OpenTV's software for interactive TV available to its affiliated
global digital TV platforms including BSkyB in the UK, Stream in Italy, Sky New
Zealand, Foxtel in Australia, Sky Brazil, Sky Mexico, Sky Colombia, Sky Chile, and
Star TV in Asia. BskyB, Foxtel and Stream have already deployed OpenTV set-top
box software and Sky New Zealand recently announced its intent to do likewise.
As part of the deal, the World Box-2 digital set-top box developed by News Corp.
includes a special release of the OpenTV software, designed to meet News Corp.'s
specifications. The announcement follows the recent disclosure that News Corp. has
taken an equity position in OpenTV.
OpenTV is one of the players in interactive TV software for digital set-top boxes,
providing delivery of interactive services via digital satellite, cable and terrestrial
broadcast. The firm's set-top software is presently installed in more than 4.3 million
digital set-top boxes worldwide, the company said, and added that its software has
been deployed by 13 television networks around the world. EchoStar's DISH Network
is scheduled to launch interactive services utilizing the product in the US early next
year.
OpenTV is now supported by investments from seven leading Internet and broadcast
companies including America Online, General Instrument [NYSE:GIC], Liberty Digital
[NASDAQ:LDIG], News Corp. and Time Warner, in addition to Sun Microsystems
[NASDAQ:SUNW] and MIH Limited [NASDAQ:MIHL]. Sun Microsystems will
reportedly increase its investment.
OpenTV said it will use the proceeds from these investments to fund development of
its growing applications business to help networks provide enhanced programming,
personal communications services, "t- commerce" (e-commerce on TV), and
interactive advertising and to expand its worldwide sales and marketing efforts.
Reported by Newsbytes.com, newsbytes.com |
