SeaChange to Launch EBIF QoS Solution at CableLabs Summer Conference

VOD and advanced advertising technology provider, SeaChange International, contacted [itvt] Wednesday to let us know about its plans for next week's CableLabs Summer Conference (August 15th-18th). The company says that it plans to launch the SeaChange EngageTV Validator, which is designed to guarantee quality of service for EBIF-based subscriber applications that make use of VOD resources, and that it will also showcase its Watch & Buy tcommerce extension for VOD services. "Solutions like the EngageTV Validator and Watch & Buy are benefiting from the standards that CableLabs is working to establish, helping operators to add new services and capabilities without impacting their operational performance," Anthony Landamia, SeaChange's general manager of advanced applications, said in a prepared statement. "These solutions are first in a suite of sustainable revenue-generating products from SeaChange that provide the advantages of interactive advertising and tcommerce."

According to SeaChange, the EngageTV Validator is designed to enable the widespread development and deployment of EBIF applications that can take effect when interactive elements available to viewers are linked to an appropriate VOD resource (i.e. a video asset). The company says that the product enables this by intercepting EBIF applications that contain external resources and verifying their availability, thereby guaranteeing the delivery of a consistent interactive experience.

SeaChange bills the Watch & Buy tcommerce service, meanwhile, as enabling cable operators to immediately use the on-demand tier to sell-through DVD's and related merchandise to subscribers, while also establishing support for system-wide tcommerce applications. According to the company, Watch & Buy includes a lightweight set-top application, user interface customization and fully managed backend order fulfillment. A DVD symbol appearing next to a movie title in an operator's VOD library alerts subscribers that the movie is also available for purchase as a DVD. When selecting such titles, SeaChange says, subscribers can order the movie as a VOD session and also choose to receive a DVD copy via snail mail. In addition, the company says, subscribers may be presented with opportunities to order DVD's in different formats, such as Blu-ray, or could receive an offer to purchase an entire TV series on DVD after viewing a single VOD episode.