Research and Markets announces the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report: IPTV-Personalizing Television - North American IPTV Services to their offering.

This research service titled North American IPTV Services Market provides insight into the market for IPTV services and set-top boxes as part of the residential broadband and customer premise equipment markets. In this study, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following markets: broadband, consumer services, IPTV, and residential CPE.

The following technologies are covered in this research:

• Broadband
• IPTV
• DSL
• Market Overview

Current Information Age Combined with Mass Customization Drive Demand for IPTV

As customers migrate to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-based telephony and wireless telephony, incumbent local exchange carriers are losing access lines, customers, and the associated revenue. Internet Protocol television (IPTV) enables telecom operators to leverage their digital subscriber line access networks and customer base with an additional video service in order to stem losses and keep customers. "While initially offering a service similar to that of cable and satellite, the real value of IPTV is in the enhanced services available with an IP network offering," according to the analyst. "In general, operators believe that for their IPTV business plans to succeed they will need 15-35 percent of their current broadband subscribers to sign up for digital TV and/or video-on-demand services as part of the IPTV offerings."

While the Industrial Revolution heralded mass production and automation, the current Information Age has brought mass customization to the forefront. Mass customization enables IPTV subscribers to set preferences and choose from a menu of content to create a personal experience out of broadcast television. IPTV customization includes the ability to time-shift programs, have VCR functionality, watch multiple programs, and choose from on-demand content. Consumers have become accustomed to choice in service subscriptions, content, and device as users of tiered cable services, TiVos, iPods and video on demand.

Greater Choice and Value Pricing Drive the Demand for IPTV

Consumers are increasingly adopting high definition television (HDTV), pocket video recorder/digital voice recorder, and on-demand programming. As the 'iPod generation' expands, people are becoming accustomed to greater choice and the ability to search the Internet for content for viewing on the TV, personal computer, or any other device. This desire for customization, along with value pricing and competition among providers, is expected to spur the market for IPTV-based services. There is a significant demand for niche, older programming and educational programming.

Consumers will pay for programs from other countries. In turn, the service providers are likely to charge either subscription/viewing fees or sell very targeted advertising for this affinity programming, which will defray network deployment costs. In addition, IPTV offers consumers savings over cable services, which have been increasing in price over the past several years. The price increases are exacerbated when one considers that viewers may have 100 channels, but watch only about 20. "With IPTV, customers can choose programming from a variety of sources based on their own preferences, adding value," explains the analyst. "Video on demand programming has proved successful for cable operators with Comcast reporting over one billion total on-demand program views for 2006 from a rotating selection of 800 movies per month."