An executive with mPhase Technologies, a pioneer in technology for delivering television entertainment to the home over telecommunications networks, said operators in the Caspian region now have a cost-effective way to launch internet-based TV (IPTV) services with a specially priced offer.

Speaking at the Caspian Telecoms Conference 2006, Mary K. Whelan, mPhase executive vice president-marketing and communications, said that the company has assembled an IPTV in a Box offer as a pre-packaged, complete starter kit designed to help telecommunications providers jump-start the market for revenue-rich video services. The system runs on high performance HP ProLiant servers and incorporates pre-configured and tested best-in-class enabling technology for managing the delivery and provisioning of video-on-demand (VOD) services down to compatible set top boxes (STBs).

"Telecoms operators in the Caspian region need to drive new revenues, and IPTV services are an ideal way to do that," Whelan said. "Our IPTV in a Box offer makes it easy for telecoms to start offering such services today. Best of all, we have designed the system for worry-free integration into existing operations systems at a cost of $500 per subscriber in this special offer through June, 2006."

Whelan told representatives of the Caspian area telecoms and ministries that the IPTV in a Box offer is well suited for small deployments in lightly populated areas or grouped in clusters to launch video services in single or multiple central office IPTV pilots.

The mPhase TV+ System software manages the delivery of IPTV service from a video head end to the STB controlling the consumer's television. The offer includes 1000 consumer kits of Amino set top boxes and 1000 BestData ADSL2+ modems.

Unlike proprietary systems that lock the telephone company into its vendors' release schedule and special purpose hardware, the mPhase TV+ System software relies on an open software architecture and runs on general purpose HP servers. The mPhase TV+ System has advanced capabilities for dynamic service creation and provisioning, including storing and controlling subscriber information and billing information.

The IPTV in Box offer includes the hardware necessary for a single central office installation. The "Box" is a 22U rack of HP ProLiant DL380 and DL360 servers and includes key capabilities from the following mPhase partners:

• SkyStream iPlex head end hardware and software for encoding TV content
• Latens Software Defined Content Authentication
• Entone StreamLiner Network Video Recorder (NVR) software
• Triveni Digital GuideBuilder Electronic Program Guide Software Solution

The mPhase TV + System is built around an innovative cluster architecture and offers key advantages to telecommunications providers, including:

• Improved maintenance environment, with links to industry-standard operations support systems, including element management of IP traffic
• Compatibility with industry standard services creation environments
• High degree of reliability to protect against network failover
• Unprecedented scalability, capable of growing to hundreds of thousands of users

The cluster architecture enables technical personnel to manage subscribers, monitor alarm messages and billing information and seek context-sensitive help across all network elements. Each central office-based cluster is designed to control and integrate VOD and program information elements and the video head end encoding systems. Network planners can distribute the clusters to optimize the load balancing of the network resources for capabilities like content distribution. Through this segmentation, technicians can better manage subscriber demand and establish QoS criteria against failover.

With GuideBuilder EPG management systems, IPTV service providers protect and preserve channel identities for use in on-screen program guides. This on-screen guide provides details of current and future programs and helps guide users to their program of choice. Features include program summaries, search by subject or channel, immediate access to the selected program, reminders, and parental control functions.

Latens Foundation CAS (FCAS) is an entry level conditional access system which enables start-ups to launch with a simplified but secure service without reducing the future functionality of its Content and Revenue Protection system. Built on the dynamic security system already accepted by the world's top content owners, it is simple to install and support, with low start up costs that scale up as an operator's business develops.