Comcast Launches TV-, PC-Based Caller ID in Michigan

Comcast said Tuesday that it has launched its Universal Caller ID service to its triple-play customers in Michigan (note: other markets in which the MSO has recently launched the service include Colorado, Oregon and Southwest Washington). The service, which is offered at no extra charge, displays the name and phone number associated with an incoming call on a pop-up banner on the TV or computer screen: the customer can then either answer the phone or press "exit" to go back to the TV show they were watching or the online activity they were involved in before the phone rang. The interactive TV implementation of the service will activate automatically, Comcast says, so that incoming caller information will appear on customers' television sets as soon as the service becomes available to their home; customers can download the PC version of the service, meanwhile, at comcast.net/callerid. Customers have the options of turning the TV version of service off, or of setting it to snooze, so that it doesn't interrupt their viewing. Comcast claims that its Michigan regional operation has over 1.2 million customers.