With ICONTV Zappware launches new interactive format on digital TV
15/05/2009

ICONTV, world's first interactive design portal on Telenet's digital TV

Zappware, the Belgian one-stop solution provider for interactive Digital TV (iDTV) on multiple TV platforms, were tapped by the Pontes Group, a Belgian idea-management software and services company, to deliver "ICONTV", an interactive portal for design brands. The service is based on Zappware's new iFormat for catalogues dubbed "iCatalogue". ICONTV is available on the digital TV platform of Belgian cable operator Telenet.

Zappware's "iCatalogue" allows the promotion of a wide range of items (products or services) through a fully interactive catalogue on digital TV. Text and images describe each item in one or more screens. Per item more information can be available under the form of a photo gallery and/or Video-On-Demand (iVOD). The ultimate goal of any promotion is to generate leads. Therefore, it is possible to add per item a multiple-choice quiz and/or a module for brochure or info requests. Both are compliant with the European Privacy regulations.

Zappware's iFormats are built in a modular way for easy rebranding, customization, and deployment on various TV platforms through Zappware's proprietor iView Platform, which is a flexible, platform-independent production environment. Each iFormat will interface seemlessly with external content providers so that existing information may be re-used with a minimum of human intervention. Thanks to the iView technology the client can update and schedule content himself in-house.

Marc Vervoort, iDTV Producer at Zappware: "Among our vast offer of interactive formats iCatalogue is definitely the best choice for this design portal idea. In orde to promote different brands and their respective products you need a user-friendly interface allowing to browse different categories and their respective items. This new iFormat was conceived and developed with exactly that in mind."

Rob Mahieu, Managing Partner at Pontes nv and founder of the iDTV division 'ICONTV': "In Zappware I found a valuable and enthusiastic partner to brainstorm and to shape and develop my idea for an interactive advertising medium for design on the Telenet digital TV platform. The result is world's first iDTV design portal visibly very well thought-out and perfectly meeting the contemporary needs of TV-watching design lovers and content-providing designers and design manufacturers."

Edwin Hardy, CEO Pebblemedia adds: "As Telenet's interactive sales house, Pebblemedia found a very innovative partner in ICONTV. IconTV is the first to launch a fully integrated marketing concept on the Telenet IDTV platform. IconTV not only offers her partners a state-of-the art landing environment, allowing partners to use video and call-to-actions via the Telenet Pin code. IconTV is also a concept that integrates the necessary traffic building via broadcaster airtime, including red button interactivity."

About ICONTV
ICONTV© stands for a new 24/7 design portal on Telenet Digital TV, accessible through the EXTRA button on the Telenet remote. Browsing through the portal and interacting with the diverse brands is very intuitive. For any brand in the design and lifestyle market it is an excellent iDTV marketing opportunity: affordable, flexible and interactive. Products s are displayed in optimal image quality on TV screens which are growing in size. ICONTV is the iDTV version of the new yearly design event ICONS&CO http://www.iconsandco.org/ (Dutch-speaking website)

About Zappware
Zappware is a one-stop solution provider for interactive digital TV (iDTV) on multiple TV platforms. Zappware conceives, designs, develops and integrates compelling and revenue-generating iDTV services for operators and broadcasters. Zappware's interactive services are complete end-to-end solutions and come with respective production and management tools for the clients to operate, maintain and measure their iDTV services in-house. All the interactive services are available on multiple TV platforms, including OpenTV, MHP and a broad variety of IPTV platforms. They are also pre-integrated with a broad variety of head-end management products. Besides custom iDTV solutions, Zappware offers a range of off-the-shelf iDTV services that can easily be rebranded and that allow for a fast market introduction. Zappware's expertise is built on 10 years of solid DTV and iTV-experience and is exclusively focused on iDTV. Zappware is headquartered in Belgium and provides iDTV services to major digital TV markets throughout the world.

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