SeaChange International and Integra5 announced full interoperability between SeaChange's TV Platform and Integra5's i5 Converged Services Delivery Platform (i5 C-SDP). The combined solution enables European IPTV operators to deliver an expanded portfolio of converged quad-play applications and services across multiple home devices, including TVs and PCs.

The IMS-enabled i5 C-SDP allows service providers to efficiently deliver converged communications and content to any IP device, including TVs and PCs, using i5 or third-party applications, with minimum network overhead. The SeaChange TV Platform is an IPTV solution that includes modular client/set-top, network and back office software options that empower operators to rapidly launch a wealth of vastly differentiated IPTV services. TV Platform debuts this week at IBC in Amsterdam.

Together, SeaChange and Integra5 enable operators to deploy an open, scalable infrastructure for a wide variety of converged consumer applications (TV & PC caller ID, personalized content alerts, SMS/MMS, home media management, voicemail message waiting), on-demand applications (nPVR, DVD, games) and advanced interactivity applications (walled garden, red button, weather, voting, eCommerce). To accelerate deployments and minimize costs, the two companies can bring all of the advantages of these IPTV applications to today's low-cost set-top boxes, eliminating the need for service providers to deploy costly new hardware.

"European service providers are looking for open, integrated technology to build their IPTV networks and quickly deliver the latest content and applications to subscribers. Our modular TV Platform allows for cost-effective delivery of the latest converged quad-play services without significant network overhaul," said Venkat Krishnan, director of IPTV platforms, SeaChange. "Integra5's i5 C-SDP is a complementary solution that extends IPTV into converged applications that blur the line between voice, video and high speed data services. Our combined offering will allow IPTV service providers to differentiate themselves from competing cable offerings with unique, customizable converged services that also provide incremental revenue opportunities."

The SeaChange TV Platform is built on an architecture that is open to industry standards so, whether deployed as an end-to-end solution or in modules, it allows operators to plug and play the industry's best-of-breed components and services -- like digital rights management, Electronic Program Guides (EPGs) and content acquisition -- and to decouple critical business functions -- like product promotion and asset management.

Together, the i5 C-SDP and SeaChange TV Platform provide end-users with the ability to personalize these services and select which devices receive which service -- critical to the mass adoption of new converged applications. With network and standards-based distributed architecture, the combined solution has the processing performance required for real-time delivery and management of signals and information between data, telephone (public switched and IP), cable TV (traditional and IPTV) and cellular networks.

"As quad-play bundles proliferate, competitive differentiation is being driven by unique content, personalized user experiences and delivery of services to multiple household devices," said Meredith Flynn-Ripley, Chief Executive Officer, Integra5. "By working with a global industry leader like SeaChange, we can enable our joint customers to quickly deploy blended voice, video, data and wireless services that have been customized to subscribers' individual preferences to multiple in-home devices."