TelcoTV: Microsoft touts IPTV deployment

ANAHEIM – Six months after hitting the 1 million mark in IPTV deployments, Microsoft announced today that there are now 2 million customers using its Mediaroom IPTV platform globally, with AT&T driving much of that growth.

“What we are seeing is a real shift from companies coming out and building and testing IPTV to real deployment and adoption that is driving momentum for the services,” said Paula Reinman, director of outbound marketing for Microsoft Mediaroom. “The ramp is really good news and the interesting part of it is why that is happening and the indicators are that growth is coming not just from new customers and deployments but from customers being able to leverage new capabilities in the platform.”

AT&T is the best example of that functionality deployment, having just launched U-verse Total Home Digital Video Recorder services using Mediaroom DVR Anywhere technology this fall. In addition, AT&T is deploying its U-bar, bringing customized weather, sports, stock and traffic information to customers, along with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football, which can be tracked on U-bar and YELLOWPAGES.COM TV for searching local businesses and information. AT&T is also offering its own games service.

“We are starting to see a change in how people enjoy TV using interactive apps to bring content in from the Web,” Reinman said. “The first iteration is things like AT&T ‘s U-bar service allowing customers to bring their own personalized weather, traffic sports into the viewing experience. AT&T is seeing really nice response to fantasy football applications. We are seeing consumers begin to enjoy TV in a different way. That is going to be an important and growing part of the momentum, as well as interactive advertising.”

Sports applications have also proved successful among German men, and men elsewhere, Reinman said, while women are gravitating more to local information services.

Microsoft continues to add to the Mediaroom Ecosystem, announcing Envivio as a new member at the show.