Videotron Charges Out With Caller ID On TV
Canadian Operator Seeks Incremental Revenue With Integra5's Communications Platform
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 8/8/2008 6:15:00 AM
Quebec operator Videotron is looking to drive incremental revenue with the launch of caller ID on the TV this month, charging subscribers an extra $2 (Canadian) per month for the feature.
Videtron, the third-largest MSO in Canada with 1.7 million cable TV customers, is using Integra5's i5 Converged Services Platform to offer the caller ID on TV application throughout its market.
The illico Caller ID service costs $2 (Canadian) per month if purchased as a standalone feature, which includes the first three months for free. It is also available as part of an optional telephony feature package that includes caller ID on the phone, voicemail, voice messages by e-mail, call forwarding, call waiting and three-way calling for $10 (Canadian) per month.
“More than 50% of our customers subscribe to two or more of our services, so offering new ways to blend those services into new experiences across devices highlights our focus on convergence and leadership in service innovation,” Videotron vice president of technology development Michel Allard said, in a statement.
Other MSOs that have rolled out caller ID on TV, including Cablevision Systems and Time Warner Cable, offer the feature for no extra charge.
Integra5’s TV Caller ID application displays the name and number of incoming phone calls on subscribers’ TV screens before it comes up on the phone. The application also provides a call log that lists the names, numbers, dates and times of recent calls, as well as call settings so subscribers can turn the caller ID notifications on or off, specify how long they appear on the TV screen and other personal preferences.
Videotron, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media, offers cable TV, broadband data, telephony and wireless services with a network that passes more than 2.5 million homes in the province of Quebec. As of June 30, Videotron was serving 1.7 million cable television customers, including 830,500 illico digital TV subscribers, and was providing cable telephone service to 742,900 households and organizations.
According to privately held Integra5, its platform has been selected by more than 30 operators worldwide.
