As more and more Canadian telecom providers and broadcast distributors embrace IPTV as a new opportunity to increase revenue streams with TV, Video on Demand, advertising programs, and Triple Play offerings (mobile +Internet + TV), Canadian content creators and application developers see new opportunity, as well.
Many providers and developers are focussed on the Microsoft Mediaroom, the software platform that powers broadcast-quality television and video services over IP networks.
The platform is licensed directly to major international network operators including AT&T, BT, Deutsche Telekom, Swisscom and Portugal Telecom, as well as Canadian carriers including Bell, MTS Allstream, SaskTel and Telus.
So, Canadian content creators and application developers are taking a close look at the platform, and the opportunities it presents to their industries.
For example, at the recent Microsoft Annual Mediaroom Developer's Conference, awards for innovative new apps for the platform were handed out, and a Toronto company took home first prize.
ES3’s award-winning application, Interactive Workout, lets users create a personal workout routine for themselves, and to follow videos that demonstrate each exercise. Users can also set reminder times to exercise and receive a daily healthy recipe using Mediaroom.
"Mediaroom offers a fantastic developer environment for TV applications and this contest was a great opportunity to show how creative we could be in designing new and exciting TV experiences," Doug Edwards, ES3 CEO, said in his acceptance comments. "The competition attracted a lot of really interesting and innovative entries and so we are delighted to be awarded first prize for the Interactive Workout application."
The judging panel included: Dale Herigstad (Chief Creative Officer, Schematic), GW Shaw (Executive Director - Product Marketing Management, AT&T), Rahul Chakkara (The BBC's Controller of TV Platforms), Tracy Swedlow (Founder and Editor, ITVT) and Enrique Rodriguez (Corporate Vice President, TV, Video & Music Business, Microsoft).
Attendance at the conference included more than 120 developers and operators from over ten countries worldwide, all looking to learn more about the future of IPTV, of Mediaroom, and of its application development platform, Mediaroom Presentation Framework and Application Developers Kit.
The conference positioned the products as a strong development platform and toolset to provide building blocks for rich interactivity and seamless blending of Web and TV related content and services.
For more Mediacaster Magazine coverage of this topic, please see:
MTS Brings Mediaroom IPTV and HDTV Service to Canada
http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000089105
Bell Offers New Broadband, Telephony Services over FTTH
http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000341582
Telus TV Rolls Out More IPTV Services
http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000348963