BNS is demonstrating its recently launched interactive TV shopping application, BNS Touch, for the first time in the U.S. at IPTV World Forum North America, which is taking place July 21-22 at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City.

BNS Touch, which was launched at CommunicAsia in Singapore last month and is already being integrated on the platform of a major IPTV operator, is an innovative multimedia solution designed to open new revenue streams and enhance customer loyalty for IPTV operators.

The system comprises familiar paper catalogues printed with invisible dot codes and a pen-like device called The Wiz, which reads the codes and sends them wired or wirelessly to a TV set-top-box. Consumers can "browse and touch" to make hassle-free purchases from the comfort of their living rooms directly through their televisions without the need to call an operator.

Working behind the scenes is a BNS-developed backend management system that includes content management, subscriber database integration, payment gateway and an inventory and logistics interface. This allows the shopping-on-demand system to integrate with existing IPTV services and shopping catalogues.

BNS Touch and The Wiz are designed to enhance the service offerings of IPTV operators and hotel/ Multi Dwelling Unit owners who can apply the solution to many applications, including TV shopping, in-room dining, VOD, Karaoke and education. It can also be applied to multimedia services such as interactive advertising and eLearning, and is easily integrated on existing IPTV and other management platforms.

BNS Touch will tap into the growing market for online shopping, which has become one of the world's fastest-growing e-commerce markets and, according to Forrester Research, is poised to reach US $156 billion this year in the US alone.