Israeli IPTV middleware and applications provider, Orca Interactive, has launched a partner program, dubbed the Interactive Alliance, which it says is designed to promote cooperation among IPTV industry "leaders" and to provide comprehensive, open and pre-integrated solutions. The alliance appears designed to counter Microsoft TV, which has secured deals with a number of major incumbent telcos for its IPTV Edition platform. Orca argues that it is critical for the success of the emerging IPTV market that players across the IPTV value chain provide open solutions with proven interoperability: "Given the difficulty of predicting the next 'killer app,' operators must offer a 'long tail' of numerous, attractive services that create value for subscribers--yet at a low cost to operators," the company stated in a press release announcing the new program. "As a result, vendors must supply open IPTV solutions that can accommodate the rapid, cost-effective introduction of evolving technologies, capabilities and applications."
The Interactive Alliance will include several "tracks": integration partners, technology partners, application-developer partners, and subscriber user interface (SUI) partners. Orca says that it will provide members of the program with various tools that are part of its flagship RiGHTv offering, including a SUI SDK for TV interface and application development, an IPTV service delivery platform for rapid integration into operator networks, plug-ins and API's for effective integration across the IPTV value chain, and training and documentation. "Partners can leverage the success of Orca's RiGHTv open solution, reduce time and effort of integrating new IPTV capabilities into existing solutions, create a win-win situation for all parties via a flexible, committed partnership, and build revenues by undertaking joint marketing and sales efforts with Orca," Orca stated in the release. Participants in the program include ANT, Nortel, and BitBand.
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