SeaChange Launches "Watch & Buy" Tcommerce Solution for VOD Services

VOD and advanced advertising technology provider, SeaChange International, on Wednesday launched "Watch & Buy," a new tcommerce service that it says will allow operators to leverage their existing VOD infrastructure to sell-through DVD's and related merchandise to their subscribers. According to the company, the service--which it is demo'ing in its booth (1601) at the NCTA Cable Show in Los Angeles--can be deployed today by operators using the SeaChange VODlink applications platform.

Watch & Buy includes a lightweight set-top application, a customizable user interface and fully managed backend order fulfillment, SeaChange says. A DVD symbol appearing next to select titles in an operator's VOD library alerts subscribers to the fact that a title is also available for purchase as a DVD. When subscribers select one of those titles, SeaChange says, they have the option of ordering the movie as a VOD session, as well as receiving a DVD copy via snail mail. In addition, the company says, subscribers may be presented with the option of ordering the DVD in different formats, such as Blu-ray, or may receive an offer to purchase an entire TV series on DVD after viewing a single VOD episode.

According to SeaChange, Watch & Buy provides operators with extensive flexibility in packaging their offerings: for example, the company says, they might offer a free VOD session with the purchase of a DVD, or offer additional items for order, such as movie-related soundtracks and video games, among other things. The company claims that the solution is based on an open architecture that allows it to easily integrate with any third-party backend fulfillment solution. "SeaChange is introducing Watch & Buy to provide operators with a new revenue opportunity that they can deploy now," Anthony Landamia, SeaChange's product manager for in-home strategy and ITV applications, said in a prepared statement. "While SeaChange continues our work to support and develop EBIF and tru2way standards and applications, operators are simultaneously asking for solutions they can use today that generate additional revenue streams and differentiate services, which is why Watch & Buy was developed."