Adding Revenue Through Value-Added Services

In the popularity contest between video services and other subscription services, this Vindicia study leaves no question as to who wears the crown – or where growth potential for our industry lies.  The study talked about how Over-the-Top and Video-on-Demand services are the single most important subscription service to users with multiple online subscriptions, but what is equally intriguing is the vast number of subscription services that offer new opportunities for operators and content providers.

Two key Vindicia findings -- that four in 10 subscribers rank video services highest and that almost 60% of subscribers engage with their favorite service 11 hours a month – speaking to the commanding presence that video has in the market.  At the same time, Vindicia found that an overwhelming majority would be willing to ante up for value-added packages, which could range from simple upgrades from basic to premium services to new opportunities such as digital health or Internet of Things applications.  Three quarters of respondents expressed a willingness to pay an additional $3.99 per month for services that would add value; when the cost was trimmed to an additional $1.99 per month, 84% said they would commit to upgrades.

Here’s how Vindicia’s CEO viewed the results: “First, as long as service providers deliver sustained and obvious value for money, customers will stick around. Second, demand for value-added benefits is so high that service providers can consider it a reliable avenue for significant business expansion. Our survey found that despite the notion that consumers don’t want to add significant financial obligations to their lives, they are very willing to pay for the services they value.”

Our take is that this is exactly the type of data that operators should consider as they explore opportunities in an Internet-of-Things world.  While video will continue to be the primary contributor to operators’ bottom lines, their ability to make their networks the hub of “smart” activity for consumers has the potential to take our industry into the uncharted waters of future growth.

ALTICAST TEAMS WITH VIDEOTRON FOR FIRST CANADIAN LAUNCH OF 4K UHD STB

Alticast today announced that its ongoing innovation partnership with Videotron is helping to achieve a milestone for the Canadian pay-TV industry – the first availability of 4K ultra high definition set-top box on a commercial basis throughout a cable system operator’s entire service footprint.

Videotron’s release of the illico 4K Ultra HD PVR has positioned the Quebec operator as a market leader in driving the key ingredients to ultra high definition success: UHD device penetration, the availability of UHD content with the superior color and consumer awareness of the value of the new technology.

Leveraging Alticast’s expertise in middleware and UI enablement, the illico 4K Ultra HD PVR allows delivery of high-value 4K content, while retaining features that are products of the close working relationship between Videotron and Alticast. These include multi-room PVR capabilities, interactive applications and seamless integration with Videotron’s state of the art back-office systems.

“The ability to combine the richness of 4K content with managed network Quality of Service will be a significant differentiator for pay-TV,” said John Carlucci, president and CTO, Alticast US. “By being the first operator in Canada to bring 4K STBs into subscribers’ homes, Videotron is continuing the leadership that sets it apart from competitors and enhances the value of service bundles.”

“The tremendous promise that 4K UHD holds for our customers can only be realized by true commitment on the part of the entire industry,” said Pierre Roy, Vice-President Engineering, Research and Development. “Alticast and our other technology partners have helped us to create the technical foundation that had already generated market enthusiasm and satisfy customer demand for UHD services.”

CCBN 2016: ALTICAST TO PREVIEW ALTIVIEW 3, SHOW ASIA-PAC MARKET SUCCESS STORIES

Alticast will show the latest versions of technology platforms that simplify deployment of next-generation user experiences at the China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN) Exhibition March 24-26. 

In Hall 3, Booth #3504 Alticast will preview its AltiView 3 user experience architecture, and will demonstrate other solutions that Asia-Pacific pay-TV operators and others are using to deploy advanced user interfaces and cloud PVR services.

The CCBN exhibit will show how:

•       AltiView 3 will transform the customer experience by leveraging metadata for improved search and discovery, based on customers’ previous viewing choices and other factors;
•       Korea Telecom’s KT Skylife platform is using Alticast’s cloud content ingest/delivery system, cloud service system, cloud media storage system and cloud streaming system to enable the first large-scale deployment of PVR services; and
•       A major Vietnamese pay-TV provider has successfully deployed a completely integrated suite of Alticast products for delivery of live and on-demand services to low-cost set-top boxes and mobile devices.

The latest addition to the AltiView™ family of user interface designs, AltiView 3 is expected to increase customer engagement by driving contextual viewing experiences within an intuitive, elegant UI.  With support for Java and HTML5 environments, AltiView UIs are available uniformly across tablets, mobiles and STBs.  AltiView is a market leader in enabling device pairing that allows seamless viewing transitions between screens.

Media and industry analysts interested in meeting with Alticast executives at CCBN 2016 should contact pspr@att.net to schedule a date and time.

ALTICAST NAMES NARA WON VP, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY TO DRIVE NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE AMERICAS

Nara Won, a technology veteran who blends senior level business development experience with rich engineering expertise, has been named Vice President, Business Development and Strategy for Alticast’s operations throughout the Americas.

“Nara Won will play an integral role in addressing our work with operators in the North American and LATAM markets,” said John Carlucci, president and CTO of Alticast US.  “His strong engineering background, his proven ability to understand industry trends, and his focus on addressing customer needs all will help us capitalize on next-generation video opportunities.”

Won, who most recently had been vice president, business development for Humax Americas, was responsible for the company’s cable industry business activities, including the rollout of STB, gateway, IoT and media hub solutions.  Previously, he had spent more than a decade with Texas Instruments growing from chief application engineer to application manager covering, MP3 CD Player, Digital Still Camera, 3D Sensors, Gesture Recognition, Virtual PC, and etc. Prior to Texas Instruments, he held engineering positions with NHN and Hynix. Won holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

In addition to Won, Alticast also announced two other personnel appointments within its Americas unit: the promotions of 15 year Alticast veteran, Jae Park to vice president, business development and of industry veteran Mike Fallon to vice president, technical service.