One of the key selling points for IPTV operators in the future will be integration with existing communication services such as SMS, presence and location, according to Ofer Weintraub, CTO of IPTV middleware provider Orca Interactive.
Delivering a morning keynote at yesterday's CommunicAsia2006 Summit, Weintraub said such services would be made available when service providers adopt IMS (IP multimedia subsystems), which would enable many services between the TV and mobile worlds.
Weintraub also noted that programming information that can be changed easily, such as the addition of user ratings and reviews, was another advantage that IPTV operators would have. However, he advised new operators to start by getting the basics right.
'There is a lot of new innovation on the horizon, but you've got to take it one step at a time,' Weintraub said.
He noted that some operators were talking of making up to one million video titles available, which will require new ways of searching and cataloging. These could include subscriber ratings, community ratings and friend recommendations, but he noted that the most important thing is that the interface needs to be adaptable so that it can be quickly changed.
'It's common to add new services in the mobile world, and we believe it will be the same for IPTV as well,' he said.