Seachange Drives On-Demand And Digital Ad Solutions

ACTON, Mass. and ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Backed by solutions from the leader in on-demand, SeaChange International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEAC), St. Joseph Cablevision has launched on-demand services and expanded their multichannel advertising business to digital cable. A division of multiple system operator NPG Cable, Inc., St. Joseph Cablevision offers service to subscribers in St. Joseph, Mo.

On-demand service kicks off
“On Demand” was introduced last week to St. Joseph Cablevision’s digital subscribers. The service runs on the SeaChange VOD System, incorporating the powerful Axiom Core on-demand infrastructure software, which has a proven track record for managing rapidly growing content libraries, streaming resources and other critical operations aspects to ensure constant availability of service to millions of television subscribers worldwide. Initially, St. Joseph Cablevision On Demand offers 2,000 hours of Hollywood movies, subscription on-demand packages and free local and network content.

“St. Joseph Cablevision is carving out its role in the future of on-demand and we’re doing that with the most wanted content and a platform that will ensure a compelling subscriber experience,” said Bill Severn, Chief Operating Officer, NPG Cable Inc. “We’re also getting ready to use our digital cable plant to bring valuable new opportunities to our advertising partners, and we’re simply enhancing our SeaChange ad operations to get there.”

Spot business goes digital
St. Joseph Cablevision has run its local advertising insertion business on SeaChange Spot Systems since 1998. Its total “insertable” channel line-up will grow from 24 analog channels to 50 digital and analog channels when it completes its upgrade this month, making digital tier networks available to local advertisers. The seamless upgrade will integrate SeaChange digital transport streams insertion software with existing analog systems, which also provides the ability to insert ads into high definition channels. With a SeaChange VOD System also in place, St. Joseph Cablevision can plan for a simple software upgrade to capture valuable targeted advertising opportunities in on-demand streams.

“Software is the key to growing cable’s revenue businesses and it’s helping customers like St. Joseph Cablevision to establish new services on a future-proofed platform,” said Yvette Kanouff, Chief Strategy Officer, SeaChange.

Hundreds of cable operations of all sizes worldwide have built on-demand and advertising businesses on a SeaChange foundation. SeaChange VOD Systems serve more than one billion video streams every year. In the U.S., alone, Spot Systems are entrusted to run the majority of operations in the multi-billion dollar local cable advertising industry. SeaChange will demonstrate Axiom Core and its advertising solutions in Booth #4664 at The 2007 Cable Show in Las Vegas, May 7-9.