Alcatel-Lucent enables innovative IPTV applications through the new Microsoft Mediaroom Presentation Framework

IPTV World Forum London. – At IPTV World Forum in London today Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) took the next step in enriching and personalizing the TV experience with the announcement that its popular digital media suite of products now supports the recently announced multimedia application environment for the Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV platform, called the Microsoft Mediaroom Presentation Framework.

Combining the power of Alcatel-Lucent’s digital media suite of products – the Multimedia Content Manager and Interactive Media Manager – with Microsoft’s IPTV platform, IPTV service providers can increase ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) and generate new revenue streams by offering personalized multimedia, on-demand offerings, and deliver compelling interactive advertising services.

“By streamlining service operation over IPTV platforms, Alcatel-Lucent enables service providers to concentrate on content retailing and maximizing their advertising space,” said Rik Missault, Vice President of Alcatel-Lucent’s Digital Media and Advertising Division. “IPTV providers leveraging Alcatel-Lucent’s solutions can infuse subscriber services with a rich mix of video, music, games, mobile, and interactivity to make the IPTV viewing experience more personal and compelling for subscribers. And, with our support of the latest version of the Microsoft Mediaroom platform, we are now extending this functionality to an even broader market.”

Announced in January of this year, the Mediaroom Presentation Framework helps IPTV operators differentiate their services from those provided by cable and satellite operators by providing the tools to seamless blend on-screen broadcasting with content and services pulled from the Web.

Alcatel-Lucent’s digital media suite further complements this value proposition. Through the use of pre-tested templates, operators can enable content providers and media agencies to quickly create new interactive TV applications such as voting, enhanced TV or interactive advertisement to augment the broadcast experience and to offer the TV viewer a real interactive and personal TV experience. These templates, enabling a write once - deploy many solution, give content providers and media agencies an abstraction layer so that they can focus on their core expertise and do not have to worry about the technical capabilities of a TV software platform.

The digital media suite also brings to market the capability for an operator to upload a digital media asset once and monetize that asset across many devices and users. Operators can extend the video experience for their TV audience while also enabling that same experience through mobile or broadband. Content packaging to personalize the user’s experience is made easy by cross-promoting video assets with music and other services, and by providing multi-platform purchase capabilities allowing users to enjoy their content anywhere, anytime. The look and feel of the experience can be exposed to the content providers and media agencies so that they can tune it to their needs using pre-tested templates.

Alcatel-Lucent is a strategic reseller and systems integration partner for Microsoft Mediaroom. Through an extensive team with established and proven multimedia expertise, Alcatel-Lucent provides a state-of-the art end user experience while leveraging the operator’s assets through integration with existing network applications and IT systems.

About the Alcatel-Lucent 5920 Multimedia Content Manager
The Alcatel-Lucent 5920 Multimedia Content Manager enables service providers to affordably and quickly launch exciting multimedia content services, including Video On Demand, that subscribers can enjoy across mobile, PC and IPTV screens. As result, service providers can package and bundle Video On Demand assets with mobile assets to provide an enhanced storefront of services for consumers. By efficiently managing the end-to-end lifecycle of media assets -- from ingestion through partner management to end user delivery – the 5920 Multimedia Content Manager reduces network complexity, operating expense and time to market.

About the Alcatel-Lucent 5930 Interactive Media Manager
The Alcatel-Lucent 5930 Interactive Media Manager enables subscribers to interact with the brands they care about in compelling new ways across multiple platforms, including mobile, PC, IPTV, as well as digital satellite, cable and terrestrial. Employing a set of pre-tested, intuitive, web-based templates, it enables content providers to easily and affordably design, create and manage interactive TV applications such as voting, enhanced TV and interactive advertising to reach consumers in new ways while also providing subscribers with a more personalized TV experience.

About Alcatel-Lucent Multimedia Integration Services
Alcatel-Lucent Multimedia Integration is the market leader in the design, integration and deployment of IPTV networks and applications. Leveraging years of experience, broad expertise and extensive investments to develop proven methodologies, Alcatel-Lucent Multimedia Integration delivers world-class, end-to-end multimedia services that are reliable, scalable and secure with reduced time to market.