Hedging a bet that set-top boxes and cable modems will be in high-demand with U.S. consumers, Excite@Home is positioning itself to deliver interactive television services through their cable partners.
Excite@Home Wednesday announced it is offering their cable partners a suite of modular content applications and network services specifically designed for television set-top boxes.
This family of products and services are based on existing platforms and technologies currently utilized in the marketplace. The services are broadband IP-based with connectivity available to Data Over Cable Systems Interface Specification-enabled interactive devices.
DOCSIS is a standard interface for cable modems through which set-top boxes can handle incoming and outgoing data signals between a cable TV operator and a computer or television set. The set-top box standard is commonly known as OpenCable.
Tom Jermoluk, Excite@Home chairman and chief executive officer, said the company is well-suited to offer interactive television services and fulfill their corporate vision.
“No organization is better equipped than Excite@Home to enable broadband, IP-based, interactive services for television,” Jermoluk said.
Excite@Home’s suite of set-top products and services for cable partners includes turnkey network operations, client software, email and ad serving through its subsidiary, MatchLogic.
The cable access provider’s enhanced services include IP transport over Excite@Home’s 16,000-mile national broadband backbone, regional caching of Web content, private peering with other large Internet service providers, billing services and back office systems integration.
Customizable local television data and broadcasting technology built-in to the Excite@Home suite of services allows cable operators to provide interactive services to existing cable set-top boxes. The Local.TV suite provides for simplified authoring, scheduling, and publishing systems that automate the creation and distribution of local or regional interactive content.
Excite@Home’s push for television content development and deployment has been reported to be the reason for their alleged executive rift with their primary investor, AT&T.
