Customer premises equipment company Tilgin has revealed the results of its IMS Attitudes Report 2007. The research shows that new cross-platform services such as mobile and online TV management will be key in both securing IPTV market share and as a route for operators to increase incremental revenues.

Tilgin's research of 2,500 UK consumers conducted by YouGov highlights demand for a range of new information, communication and entertainment services placing the TV at the heart of the digital home.

Remote TV management, where a digital video recorder can be controlled online or via a mobile phone, is the most popular service and 27% of 18-44 year old consumers would like their current or potential new TV provider to offer it. The research also indicates significant demand for a range of other converged services:

• 22% would like to see incoming phone call management services, where caller ID information appears on the TV screen
• 20% would like to store and share photos and videos through their IPTV service
• 19% would be interested in TV based instant messaging and email applications
• 15% would like to see SMS messaging services between TV and mobile devices

Tilgin is developing solutions which enable telecoms operators moving into the IPTV space to offer these next-generation services to customers by taking advantage of IMS. Originally developed to bring the flexibility of IP based services to mobile networks, the IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) standard is now being embraced as an open framework for services that allow the true convergence of mobile and fixed services in the home.

The IMS Attitudes Report also highlights that as well as offering a clear route to developing a differentiated offering, IMS services have the potential to generate significant incremental revenues for IPTV operators. Tilgin's research found that 18-24 years olds in particular would be willing to pay extra for services, with 32% of consumers surveyed happy to pay up to £3 extra a month for Remote TV management and 20% happy to pay an additional £5 a month. Interestingly, up to 40% of women compared to 30% of men stated they would be happy to pay up to £5 a month for Remote TV management services.