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Viodi View Menu<\/strong><\/p>\n Current Issue<\/a> <\/p>\n Still Independent…<\/a><\/p>\n Municipal Wireless Challenges [PREMIUM FEE]<\/a><\/p>\n Previous Issue<\/a> <\/p>\n Viodi View Subscribe<\/a> <\/p>\n Viodi Forums<\/strong> Club Viodi<\/a> Open Forum <\/a> <\/p>\n Multimedia Search <\/a> <\/p>\n Viodi Workshops<\/strong> Local Content<\/a> Telco Video 101<\/a> IPTV Training<\/a> Industry<\/strong> Industry Calendar<\/a> Viodi Links<\/a> Weissberger’s Wireless World & More<\/a> <\/p>\n About Viodi<\/a> Contact<\/a> Biographies<\/a> <\/p>\n Interested in Sponsoring the Viodi View? Send an email to: sponsor@viodi.com<\/strong><\/p>\n Please forward<\/strong> this free publication to anyone you know who is involved in some way with independent telephone companies. <\/p>\n Mission of the Viodi View:<\/strong><\/p>\n In this on-line publication, we share our analysis, opinions and direction on the interactive television news and views that we believe will be of interest and use to our friends associated directly or indirectly with independent telephone companies. For more information as to the various ways Viodi works with independent telephone companies, please go to http:\/\/www.viodi.com\/alliance\/<\/a><\/p>\n Disclaimer:<\/strong><\/p>\n The Viodi View [Viodi, LLC] and its associates used their best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, the Viodi View [Viodi, LLC] does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.<\/p>\n All displayed trademarks, logos and service marks are the property of their respective owners. \u00a9 2005Viodi, LLC<\/a>. All Rights Reserved. Viodi View Newsletter – June 28th, 2006<\/strong> <\/p>\n By Ken Pyle, ken.pyle@viodi.com, Managing Editor, Viodi View<\/p>\n Long airplane flights combined with no Internet access<\/strong> means time to think and to catch up on reading; time to think about things like private property ownership, universal service and economic concepts like natural monopoly. The political alliances that have formed around issues such as net neutrality, ala carte and franchising<\/strong> are indeed fascinating. None of the groups involved in this fray seem to be opposed to allying with any group as long is it helps them meet their political objectives or objections. This is a big topic that begs many questions, which we will leave for later. <\/p>\n C-COR’s Global IP Summit Highlights:<\/strong><\/p>\n The C-COR Global IP Summit, which was the point of the travel for me this week, has been a great catalyst for stirring up ideas and thoughts as to market direction. Josh Sapan<\/strong> of Rainbow Media<\/strong> kicked off the conference by making the important point that new content distribution platforms generally don\u2019t take off until there is content is designed that takes advantage of the platform\u2019s strengths. Sapan compared High Definition Television to color television<\/strong> and he explained that it took seven years before color television hit the knee on the curve where it exploded in terms of penetration. <\/p>\n It was the advent of content designed specifically for this new technology, namely Walt Disney\u2019s Wonderful World of Color\u201d <\/strong>that drove adoption. With more than 12 pages of notes on the first day, there is much more to be written, but the refreshing thing about the conference was the lack of sessions on legal and regulatory matters. It would be great if somehow the collective telecommunications\u2019 industry could devote all of its energy to serving the customer instead of having to wade through the murky legal and regulatory environment. <\/p>\n On-Demand Video Opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite the uncertain regulatory environment, progress is being made with regards to implementing long-hyped services, such as on-demand. Gary Sasaki of Digdea<\/strong> authored an excellent report, Turmoil in On-Demand Viewing Creates Opportunities<\/strong><\/em>, which looks at the challenges faced by the entire ecosystem surrounding the delivery of on-demand content. What makes his report valuable is that he considers all forms of content and its packaging and distribution, from theaters to online downloads to streaming VOD to retail. This holistic view is very valuable as monopolies are often undermined from competition by product substitution (e.g. the demise of the scribe, thanks to the Guttenberg press). So, as the politicians look at telecom, they should remember that it does not exist in a vacuum. <\/p>\n The report, published in May 2006, is very current <\/strong>and talks about such timely topics as Time-Warner\u2019s Start Over<\/strong> service (a variant of the Network PVR concept) and the on-going cable legislation. More than just words, it features screen shots of operators\u2019 service offerings and pictures of equipment. This well footnoted, 217 page report kept the attention of this attention span-challenged reader, which says a great deal. It is a must read <\/strong>for any supplier to or provider in the telecom industry.<\/p>\n It provides real insight<\/strong> into the cable world and blows away the myths heard about IPTV. As an example of one of the nuggets presented was the result from Digdia\u2019s survey that suggested that by almost a 2.5 to 1 difference, people would rather spend $3.99 for an ad-free movie delivered to the television than the same movie priced at $2.99 with advertisements. When a similar question was asked about television shows, the on-demand with advertisements was the overwhelming favorite approach.<\/p>\n Sasaki has some out of the box thinking<\/strong>, especially when it comes to increasing the effectiveness of advertising by integrating the operator\u2019s various Internet, television and mobile platforms. For instance, he suggests that video on-demand advertisements might be personalized based upon a viewer\u2019s web viewing history. To ensure consumer privacy, while providing a conduit for data exchange for this sort of scenario, he suggests that a new sort of data clearinghouse is necessary [note, it appears that a company that is just surfacing after a seven year gestation, Invidia, may have a model similar to what Sasaki describd]. <\/p>\n He even has an evolution plan for the nascent HD-DVD and Blu-Ray standards <\/strong>could meld into a new offering called HD-Ray, eliminating this decade\u2019s Beta vs. VHS wars. There are a few minor discrepancies within the report, but given the comprehensive and timely nature of this report, these are nits in the overall view. <\/p>\n Bundle Strategies \u2013 double, triple quadruple play?<\/strong><\/p>\n Another report that will prove useful to anyone looking at marketing telecommunication and entertainment services via electronic distribution, will benefit from reading IDATE\u2019<\/strong>s report titled, Bundling Strategies: double, triple, quadruple play<\/strong><\/em>. Although this 200 page study has a European and larger operator viewpoint, it presents some good ideas as to how both incumbent and operators are successfully bundling services to increase Average Revenue Per Unit and reduce customer churn<\/strong>. This isn\u2019t the report you would buy if you want to learn about the U.S Independent Telco market, but it provides a great view of what is being done internationally and is a valuable aid to get ideas on how to things differently than convention wisdom. <\/p>\n One of the most important things this report does is introduce a metaphor for describing the bundle. They point out that there are two kinds of bundles; the \u2018Horizontal Bundle or Broad Range<\/strong>\u2019 bundle and the \u2018Vertical Bundle or Deep Range.\u2019<\/strong> The Horizontal Bundle consists of the services, such as telephony, Internet, video and wireless traditionally associated with a multi-play. The Vertical Bundle consists of the features offered as part of each service. <\/p>\n I would suggest that there is a third type of bundle, which is a Diagonal Bundle<\/strong>, whereby features from one service are integrated with one of the other services (e.g. caller I.D. on television). This Diagonal Bundle really represents that once trite term known convergence<\/strong>. For more thoughts on how to make bundling work, pick up the next issue of Telephony\u2019s Independent <\/strong>magazine and read what marketing leaders from the U.S. and Europe think about this important topic. <\/p>\n Still Independent\u2026..<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The following article<\/a><\/strong> was published in the March issue of Telephony\u2019s Independent.magazine. Given that Independence Day<\/strong> is just around the corner, it seemed appropriate to finally publish this evergreen article<\/strong> in the Viodi View. I have been thinking about what independent means a great deal lately. It might be the recent fifth anniversary of Viodi that has triggered these thoughts. Often times, I imagine Viodi\u2019s growing pains are similar to what the independent telcos went through during their years of struggle as they established telephone service in areas where no one else dared go. Click here<\/a><\/strong> to read the rest of this article. <\/p>\n Municipal Wireless: Business Models, Privacy, and Missing Applications [Premium $Fee]<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Speaking of independent, Dr. Alan Weissberger<\/strong> is an independent technology analyst, who has consulted for dozens of Fortune 500 companies, as well as international standards bodies. In this article, he shares insight into the challenges of municipal wireless<\/strong>. This is a must-read article for anyone who is interested in this much-hyped topic. Previous articles<\/strong><\/a> by this author have examined Google and Silicon Valley Joint Venture’s plans to build municipal wireless networks in the SF Bay Area.<\/p>\n Recent press coverage of Municipal Wireless networks has given rise to a number of questions, many of which we have been thinking about for quite some time. Is there a sustainable business model<\/strong> for municipal WiFi networks (Evidently not, judging by recent articles in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times)? Is privacy really such a big issue? In particular, what is Google planning to ensure privacy of muni WiFi users? Will municipal wireless network applications consist of just web browsing, email and Instant Messaging, or are there undiscovered, new applications that can take advantage of the nomadic nature of multiple users within a community? Such applications could attract more users to those same municipal wireless networks. <\/p>\n Via a San Jose Mercury on-line interview and reference to a letter sent to the City of San Francisco, Weissberger provides an update on Google’s latest response to the privacy issues they face in moving forward with their San Francisco municipal WiFi project. We also offer a prescription for how municipalities might attract more users<\/strong> to their wireless networks. Finally, we offer a perspective on municipal wireless applications and their social implications.<\/p>\n Upcoming Events\u2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n An MPEG-4 Snack\u2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n Real interesting advertisement in the sports page of last weekend\u2019s San Jose Mercury by a dealer for DISH TV<\/strong>, which suggested that they have the latest in MPEG-4 HD DVRs<\/strong>. It is interesting that they are highlighting MPEG-4 in their ad.<\/p>\n The Legality of Place Shifting….<\/strong><\/p>\n Here is a snippet of a very good presentation from C-Cor’s Global IP Summit<\/strong> regarding the topic of over the top video. In this segment, Blake Krikorian, CEO<\/strong> of Sling Media<\/strong>, provides his viewpoint on the legality of place-shifting of broadcast content. Krikorian suggested that the majority of the Sling Box usage is place shifting content around the home (e.g. watching your television on the lap-top, while in the hot tub). <\/p>\n The Korner -Will Net Neutrality Blast Off?<\/strong><\/p>\n Tom & Jerry<\/em>, Desperate Housewives<\/em>, CSI<\/em> are examples of what the Pyle Channel Program Directors<\/strong> have programmed on the family TIVO<\/strong>. My one and only choice has been to program the Internet-delivered daily show called Rocketboom<\/strong>. Rocketboom is often an entertaining and clever daily review of content on the Internet that the Rocketboom team (of 2) find interesting. They also create their own content, which is all over the map in terms of quality and subject matter. <\/p>\n Last week, Rocketboom dove deep into the pool of the network neutrality<\/strong> debate<\/strong> with a video they produced that used cars and highways as a metaphor for what is going on in the Internet. It spoke of the concept that the telcos and cable companies want to build toll roads and charge different content providers for access to those toll roads. The biggest problem I had with the video was that it had many inaccuracies and told only part of the story. For instance, the story about Craig\u2019s List <\/strong>being blocked by Cox Communications <\/strong>was spread, even though it was proved by Craig Newmark, the Craig behind Craig\u2019s List, to be false. <\/p>\n Based on the rhetoric of the Rocketboom video, the last mile operator should not be allowed to provide co-location space in their central offices to Internet Content Companies that want to install<\/strong>, say, servers<\/strong> that are at the edge of the local loop<\/strong>. That some Internet Content providers could pay for quality of service guarantees would somehow be unfair according to the Rocketboom video. The ironic thing about this is that one of Rocketboom\u2019s main distributors to the TV (and how I first heard of Rocketboom a year ago or so) is Akimbo<\/strong>. As has been widely reported, Akimbo has signed a distribution agreement with AT&T<\/strong> (and received investment as well). Seems to me this indirectly give Rocketboom preference on AT&T\u2019s network; exactly what they suggest should not happen…….to be continued, maybe. <\/p>\n Next Article<\/a><\/p>\n Back to Top<\/a><\/p>\n Previous Issue<\/a><\/p>\n Viodi View Subscribe<\/strong><\/p>\n Salutation<\/p>\n Mr. Ms. M. Mrs. Miss Dr. <\/p>\n First Name <\/p>\n Last Name<\/p>\n Email<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n Privacy Policy<\/a> <\/p>\n Meet Viodi @ OPASTCO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 43rd Annual Summer Convention A Must Attend Event for Anyone Interested in the Independent Telco Market<\/strong> <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Happy Independence Day!<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n FTTX Network Architecture Seminar:<\/a><\/strong> ADC is pleased to invite you to an interactive seminar series focused on FTTX Network Architecture. This informative 2-1\/2 day program provides highly in-depth, hands-on training on the issues that are important to anyone deploying FTTX or considering it.<\/p>\n WHEN: July 18-20, 2006<\/p>\n Click here for more info<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Network PVRs Are Desired, But Operators Have Doubts<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n Click Here to Get the Report<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n \u00a0 T-Shirts<\/a> at CustomInk.com!<\/strong> <\/p>\n ]]> <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n ]]> <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n ]]> <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 Viodi View Menu Current Issue Still Independent… Municipal Wireless Challenges [PREMIUM FEE] Previous Issue Viodi View Subscribe Viodi Forums Club Viodi Open Forum Multimedia Search Viodi Workshops Local Content Telco Video 101 IPTV Training Industry Industry Calendar Viodi Links Weissberger’s Wireless World & More About Viodi Contact Biographies Interested in Sponsoring the Viodi View? 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