Engagement of Web and TV
Cablecom Sets Its Sights on Multimedia Internet and Interactive TV
Cablecom is considering multimedia Internet and interactive TVBy Clemens HörlerCablecom not only wants to make its Internet portal Swissonline.ch more multimedia-based, it is also planning interactive elements in the area of digital TV. For example, SwissFun users will soon be able to send e-mails via the television. E-commerce solutions are also in the pipeline.
On April 9, Cablecom (www.cablecom.ch) announced the launch of its digital pay TV offering. In addition to the more than 30 open TV channels available to date, owners of a SwissFun set-top box 16 can now receive further offers. However, after a short introductory phase, these will be subject to a charge. The pay channels are the program bouquets SwissFun Familiy and SwissFun Discovery as well as the two individual programs "SIC Internacional" from Portugal and "Pink Plus" from Serbia. The SwissFun offering includes Sport 1 and MTV Base, for example. SwissDiscovery comprises eight channels, such as the travel channel Marcopolo and the design and culture channel Leonardo.
While Cablecom was previously only able to benefit financially from the SwissFun offer indirectly through the sale or rental of set-top boxes via consumer electronics retailers, money from pay broadcasters for the distribution of their programs will now also flow into Cablecom's coffers: "Customers pay us or the broadcasters monthly fees. They in turn pay us a certain percentage of their revenue," explains Ingo Buse, Head of Corporate Communications at Cablecom.
For the time being, Cablecom is limiting the launch of its digital pay-TV to German-speaking Switzerland, with offers for French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino to follow in summer 2001 and 2002 respectively.
Quickly send an e-mail via the TV
However, the development of SwissFun is far from over with the introduction of paid services. From June or July 2001, owners of a newer SwissFun set-top box will also be able to receive e-mails thanks to a built-in modem and later even send them. This will be via a Swissonline account.
However, e-mail traffic is not to remain the only interactive element in the offering. Cablecom is planning a massive expansion of the store area, which has so far been rather poor. So far, it is only possible to view Rediffusion products and then order what you want via a hotline. Buse: "In the course of next year, when the third generation of set-top boxes with integrated cable modem is on the market, we want to offer interactive store solutions with direct ordering options. Cablecom is already in negotiations with potential e-commerce partners. Here, too, Cablecom can look forward to further income in the form of intermediary fees.
First step towards the convergence of Internet and television
"We are taking our first steps into the convergent world," says Buse. However, Cablecom is not only tackling the merging of Internet and television via the home television set. Multimedia content is also to find its way onto the Swissonline Internet portal and bring moving images to the Web. For example, there are plans to broadcast the stock market and finance channel Money24, which is currently still in preparation, via Swissonline.ch.
Since the launch of Cablecom's digital television offering, 30,000 households have already purchased a SwissFun set-top box, according to Buse. In addition to access to the various television offerings, the basic menu previously also included an electronic program guide as well as games and current news prepared and delivered by Swiss TXT. It was also possible to access the fee-based Music Choice radio service, which included a total of 44 stations.
The SwissFun offer should
find customers quickly
To date, the SwissFun customer base has largely been made up of foreigners who do not want to miss out on programs from their home country. With Swiss customers spoiled by free TV, it will probably not be easy to expand the customer base quickly, as the range of German and French-language channels is extremely dense, even without digital television.
Thanks to the expansion of SwissFun's offering outside the television program range, Cablecom hopes to be able to extend the distribution of the SwissFun set-top box to 80,000 households in Switzerland by the end of the year. This is based on an expected total market of around 100,000 boxes throughout Switzerland.
On April 9, Cablecom (www.cablecom.ch) announced the launch of its digital pay TV offering. In addition to the more than 30 open TV channels available to date, owners of a SwissFun set-top box 16 can now receive further offers. However, after a short introductory phase, these will be subject to a charge. The pay channels are the program bouquets SwissFun Familiy and SwissFun Discovery as well as the two individual programs "SIC Internacional" from Portugal and "Pink Plus" from Serbia. The SwissFun offering includes Sport 1 and MTV Base, for example. SwissDiscovery comprises eight channels, such as the travel channel Marcopolo and the design and culture channel Leonardo.
While Cablecom was previously only able to benefit financially from the SwissFun offer indirectly through the sale or rental of set-top boxes via consumer electronics retailers, money from pay broadcasters for the distribution of their programs will now also flow into Cablecom's coffers: "Customers pay us or the broadcasters monthly fees. They in turn pay us a certain percentage of their revenue," explains Ingo Buse, Head of Corporate Communications at Cablecom.
For the time being, Cablecom is limiting the launch of its digital pay-TV to German-speaking Switzerland, with offers for French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino to follow in summer 2001 and 2002 respectively.
Quickly send an e-mail via the TV
However, the development of SwissFun is far from over with the introduction of paid services. From June or July 2001, owners of a newer SwissFun set-top box will also be able to receive e-mails thanks to a built-in modem and later even send them. This will be via a Swissonline account.
However, e-mail traffic is not to remain the only interactive element in the offering. Cablecom is planning a massive expansion of the store area, which has so far been rather poor. So far, it is only possible to view Rediffusion products and then order what you want via a hotline. Buse: "In the course of next year, when the third generation of set-top boxes with integrated cable modem is on the market, we want to offer interactive store solutions with direct ordering options. Cablecom is already in negotiations with potential e-commerce partners. Here, too, Cablecom can look forward to further income in the form of intermediary fees.
First step towards the convergence of Internet and television
"We are taking our first steps into the convergent world," says Buse. However, Cablecom is not only tackling the merging of Internet and television via the home television set. Multimedia content is also to find its way onto the Swissonline Internet portal and bring moving images to the Web. For example, there are plans to broadcast the stock market and finance channel Money24, which is currently still in preparation, via Swissonline.ch.
Since the launch of Cablecom's digital television offering, 30,000 households have already purchased a SwissFun set-top box, according to Buse. In addition to access to the various television offerings, the basic menu previously also included an electronic program guide as well as games and current news prepared and delivered by Swiss TXT. It was also possible to access the fee-based Music Choice radio service, which included a total of 44 stations.
The SwissFun offer should
find customers quickly
To date, the SwissFun customer base has largely been made up of foreigners who do not want to miss out on programs from their home country. With Swiss customers spoiled by free TV, it will probably not be easy to expand the customer base quickly, as the range of German and French-language channels is extremely dense, even without digital television.
Thanks to the expansion of SwissFun's offering outside the television program range, Cablecom hopes to be able to extend the distribution of the SwissFun set-top box to 80,000 households in Switzerland by the end of the year. This is based on an expected total market of around 100,000 boxes throughout Switzerland.
