Triple Play. It’s on everybody’s lips these days. I had the chance to speak with some good folks at iPlay3 this afternoon, and I thought I’d share some of what they’re up to.
iPlay3 is a consortium made up of NetCentrex, Envivio, and Highdeal — each a successful vendor in their own area of expertise. Together they offer an integrated triple play solution featuring voice over IP, video over IP, and a pricing/rating solution that leverages any type of broadband IP infrastructure including Fiber to the Home (FTTH), DSL, Cable, and Wireless.
Essentially the iPlay3 solution is meant to enable voice, video, and OSS services from the service provider’s headend or central office. Utilizing the service provider-owned IP network, the services are delivered to a set-top box in the subscriber home.
IP video is delivered using Envivio’s complete suite of 4Caster MPEG-4 AVC (also known as H.264) broadcast encoders, 4Sight interactive MPEG-4 streaming servers, and 4View MPEG-4 H.264 decoders. IP video services are delivered and managed using the 4Front MPEG-4 application server and client portal.
IP telephony is delivered using NetCentrex’ MyCall Residential solution, a carrier-class VoIP platform leveraging all broadband networks worldwide. MyCall Residential delivers Class 5 telephony features, regulatory capabilities, and interactive services.
Highdeal’s Transactive OSS provides the multi-tier pricing, rating, and settlement capabilities. Transactive delivers triple play pricing, carrier-class rating, customized and detailed billing, automatic management of partner settlement plans, and profitability simulations and reporting.
All in all, iPlay3 offers an interesting and attractive application which features benefits to service providers and consumers alike.
Carriers are able to realize new revenue streams and curtail churn by offering integrated services, and consumers benefit from a single bill, new enhanced services such as on-screen caller ID, video conferencing and the like, and a services portal, which allows them to access account features and purchase additional services without having to get up from their easy chair.
Once you eliminate bandwidth issues (as in the case of a FTTH deployment) and are able to offer an integrated solution set to carriers who in turn can offer their subscribers cutting edge services it seems to me that you end up with a winning scenario.
iPlay3 also told me a few things, which I can’t quite share with you yet, but watch this space for more information right around the Labor Day timeframe. I look forward to sharing their news with you then.
