Internet radio products, which play streaming audio
from the Internet, have barely been launched and
already they are being ported to television platforms.
3Com, which is about to launch its Kerbango Internet
Tuning Service (KTS), said Tuesday that it has reached
an agreement to integrate the service into the
interactive television (i-TV) platform developed by
TeleCruz Technology.
Under the agreement, TeleCruz will develop custom
hardware compatible with the Kerbango and will offer it
as an option to its OEM partners. Among its partners
are Panasonic and Zenith. TeleCruz’s role will not be to
collect revenues for the integration; rather, OEMs will
license the Kerbango technology directly from 3Com,
under the terms of the agreement.
KTS provides free access to thousands of pre-qualified
audio sites from around the world and provides an
on-screen directory of available programming.
“Our partnership with TeleCruz signals a fundamental change in the perception
and use of Internet radio in today’s digital home and redefines the meaning of
‘home theater,'” said John Fitch, vice president and general manager of 3Com
Internet Radio Division.