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Integra5, a Massachusetts-based company that specializes in technologies for converged services, says that Chilean cable operator, VTR Global Com, has deployed its flagship i5 Converged Services Platform (CSP) to power a market-wide roll-out of TV- and PC-based caller-ID services. The first phase of the deployment sees VTR launching the services to around 50,000 subscribers throughout Chile. VTR, which is owned by Liberty Global and which has around 1.1 million subscribers, is combining Integra 5’s TV- and PC-based caller-ID apps with phone caller-ID to create a packaged offering called “Mira Quien Llama” (”Look Who’s Calling”). After a 60-day promotional period, the package will be offered to subscribers of VTR’s digital voice, video and phone services for $4.00 per month.

Integra5 touts its TV- and PC-based caller-ID applications as displaying data on incoming phone calls before the phone even rings. According to the company, the personalization capability of the i5 CSP platform will allow VTR subscribers to log into a Web-based, VTR- branded “i5 Customer Control Portal,” where they can specify photos, nicknames, fonts and colors for their TV- and PC-based caller-ID notifications. They will also be able to use the portal to set such preferences as how long notifications remain on screen.

VTR has deployed the i5 CSP–which Integra5 claims has now been deployed by nearly 40 operators around the world–in its video headend, which also includes Macrovision (formerly Aptiv) and Motorola technologies. Integra5 bills the platform as being open and network-based, as working in ETV/EBIF, OCAP/tru2way and IMS environments, and as being scalable to millions of subscribers. “The overwhelming success of converged services in retaining high-value customers and increasing ARPU is driving large-scale, advanced deployments by tier 1 operators like VTR,” Integra5 president and CEO, Meredith Flynn-Ripley, said in a prepared statement. “As the competition intensifies, it’s increasingly critical that operators have the ability to offer more than a single application to a single device. Only the i5 CSP enables operators to remain at the forefront of innovation through the continuous and efficient delivery of new, blended communications applications spread across multiple devices–with the added flexibility to embed personalization, active call control, and increasingly, social media capabilities.” (Note: for more on the i5 CSP’s recently introduced social media capabilities, see [itvt] Issue 8.06 Part 3B.)

In other Integra5 news:

• The company says that Puerto Rican triple-play provider, OneLink Communications, has deployed the i5 CSP to a offer customizable TV-based caller ID service throughout its market footprint. The TV-based caller ID service–branded as OneLink Caller ID–is launching this month to 30,000 customers of the company’s video and telephony bundle. “Our new OneLink Caller ID offering transforms the traditional communications experience by allowing subscribers to instantly manage incoming calls right there on their TV screens, without needing to install anything new or rely on a service visit to make it work,” Jeffrey Engleman, OneLink’s director of customer operations, said in a prepared statement. “With the i5 CSP in place, we’re also well-positioned to quickly roll out additional converged communications services in the future, such as real-time TV chat and customer care notifications.” According to Integra5, subscribers can customize and control OneLink Caller ID through an i5 Network Address Book on OneLink’s customer Web portal–for example, by personalizing alerts with photos and nicknames, by disabling and enabling notifications, and by specifying how long caller ID information appears on the TV screen. The service also includes a TV-based “Call Log,” that displays the names, numbers and dates of recent calls. OneLink has deployed the i5 CSP in a system that includes Cisco (Scientific-Atlanta) set-top boxes running SARA EPG technology.
• The company says that triple-play provider, LocalTel, has deployed its i5 CSP platform and its TV Caller ID application throughout its markets in Washington State. LocalTel, which delivers services over a fiber optic network, is marketing the new application via a three-month promotion, under which subscribers to its digital TV and phone caller ID services are automatically receiving TV Caller ID. After the promotion, the operator says it will offer it to subscribers for an incremental monthly charge. “One of the many reasons we selected Integra5 for our converged service roll-out was the large number of positive references we received from other service providers who have deployed the i5 CSP, and who are seeing tangible revenue and retention benefits–including direct feedback from subscribers stating that these services are as important to them as other advanced features like VOD,” LocalTel president, Dimitri Mandelis, said in a prepared statement. “Integra5’s platform also offers compelling ROI benefits, allowing us to quickly roll out TV Caller ID today, with the flexibility to easily add on new applications and features, such as personalization and social media–that can reach any subscriber device–whenever we choose.” According to Integra5, a survey conducted by its customer, Comporium Communications, found that 70% of respondents liked TV Caller ID as much as other advanced services, such as DVR and HDTV.
• The company says that Canadian triple-play provider, Westman Communications, has deployed the i5 CSP and the TV Caller ID application. Westman, the first operator in Manitoba to deploy Integra5’s technology, is offering it in a bid to increase uptake of its new Westman Home Phone telephony service. Subscribers to the operator’s triple-pay package will automatically receive TV Caller ID, while subscribers to its phone and cable TV services can receive the application for CDN$5 per month. “The launch of our Westman Home Phone product combined with Integra5’s TV Caller ID provides our customers with a new choice for digital voice service that also delivers innovative cross-platform telephony features unlike other phone companies in the markets we serve,” Dave Baxter, president and CEO of Westman Communications, said in a prepared statement.
• The company’s i5 Converged Services Platform and various of the applications it enables are being featured at The Cable Center’s second annual “Cable Today & Tomorrow” exhibit in Denver. Integra5 is one of only seven companies chosen by a committee of Cable Center personnel and industry executives to participate in the interactive showcase (note: other participants include ITV authoring solutions specialist, Ensequence), which is billed as allowing visitors to experience key cable technologies and learn how they can benefit their daily lives. “‘Cable Today & Tomorrow’ represents the industry’s commitment to delivering transformative, present-day communications technologies while exploring the potential of future advancements,” Larry Satkowiak, president and CEO of The Cable Center, said in a prepared statement. “We selected Integra5’s converged services for this year’s exhibit based on their ability to deliver value and simplicity to consumers’ lives through a blended communications experience across TV’s, PC’s, and mobile and landline phones.”
• The company has joined itaas’s istart ETV Developer Program (note: for more on the program, see article in this issue, or listen to [itvt]’s interview with istart president and CEO, Vibha Rustagi, in Issue 8.22).