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Shopping & Banking Video Vault
Many digital interactive TV platforms have been launched on the basis of significant and growing revenues from T-Commerce - particularly in markets where there is an established tradition of "Catalogue" shopping.
Sadly so far - the buy rates haven't met expectations, nor have they grown significantly. T-Commerce services can be effective and revenue generating - but no matter how popular and no matter what level of price point - if the cost to build, maintain and distribute the services outweighs the profit - there isn't much point in being there.
Banks on the other hand are particuarly keen to extend their brand message to all platforms and all devices - as part of a general cost-saving shift from retail to home banking.
UK
Dominos Pizza on Sky Digital - Updated (OpenTV) (5.4 Mb)
Whilst the original Domino's
T-Commerce service (see below) was much richer in
graphics and performed fairly fast for an application
created in Open Author, the WTVML based version that is
currently in operation on Sky Active provides Domino's
with a more economic solution.
With this WTVML based application much of the content is transferred to the STV via the modem, and therefore the application uses much less satellite bandwidth. Also becuase the box dials up before placing an order, it can easily provide the viewer with the ability to consult and repeat their previous order.
However, it has to be said that the application does lack something for not being able to offer the viewer images of all the various menu choices and they browse through the menus.
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UK
QVC Active on Sky Digital (OpenTV) (4 Mb)
Initially launched in 2000 as a
complimentary online catalogue for the UK's QVC channel,
this interactive application has been enhanced to allow
T-commerce since October 13th 2001.
The application delivers a number of
benefits for QVC. Firstly it provides a more convenient
way for consumers to purchase products from the channel
without having to make a telephone call or boot up their
PC's. Using the Red button the average purchase cycle is
now only 48 seconds.
Secondly it considerably reduces costs for QVC thenselves who don't require call centre agents to handle interactive orders. More than 10% of QVC’s total orders now come via the ‘buy button’ on Sky, twice as many as come via the internet.
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South Africa
M-Web TV-Shopping (OpenTV) (6 Mb)
This collection of shopping
boutiques on channel 74 of the Multichoice platform
allows the viewer to browse products from major
retailers, add products to a virtual shopping cart and
initiate a purchase using his or her credit card.
The connection to the back end is made as the last step and is encrypted and an order number is given for user tracking.
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Italy
IntesaBci TV Banking on Stream Italy (OpenTV) (3.1 Mb)
This
is the first TV-Banking service available in Italy,
jointly created by IntesaBCI Bank and Stream.
The services allows you to:
- check the account settlement and current availability
- verify the list of statements through a specific period of time
- control the status of any chequebook
- check any share deposit and receive detailed information about any of the shares
- make or remove credit transfers
- handle an address book holding references for each credit transfer beneficiary
- recharge traffic credits for mobile phones
- search for banking coordinates
All these services are available 24h a day, 7 days a week and handled through a secure connection that guarantees the maximum level of privacy and security. Intensive data entry is performed both via a virtual or infrared keyboard.
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Scandinavia
eTV Store on Canal Digital (Mediahighway) (5 Mb)
(Offline, Available on request)
eTV started off as one of the
first interactive services on the Swedish Senda DTT
platform - which operates in OpenTV. This video is of the
version carried by Canal Digital, one of the two major
DTH operators in the Scandinavian region. eTV broadly
offers a non-stop diet of pop videos with the
interactivity allowing the viewer to go and purchase
CD's, DVD's etc.
Sadly the interface quickly leaves the main video and goes to a full screen application - but navigation through the various items is swift and products are simply and easily added to a "shopping cart". Once all the items have been selected, the viewer must enter their security code (to prevent children buying 200 copies of the Whitney Houston collection!) and then the application then connects to confirm payment etc.
Scandinavia
E! Entertainment Television (Mediahighway)
(Offline, Available on request)
Using the same application
code as the eTV service above, E! Entertainment
Television are able to provide an interactive store which
is accessible by pressing the SERV (Interactive)
button whilst watching their channel.
Sadly, beyond the first splash screen - there is little branding or connection to E!'s content - which seems a pity, but there's no reason why a large organisation like E! couldn't invest some time in perhaps offering some of the online content over iTV as well.
Spain
OKRecarga (Mediahighway) (3.38Mb)
This application on CSD Spain
allows Vodafone mobile phone users to quickly and easily
reload their pay-as-you-go mobile phone with credit. The
user simply enters their mobile telephone number (twice
to ensure accuracy) and then the amount they want
credited (dispayed in both Euros and Pesetas) and then
the can enter their credit or debit card details. The STB
then dials the backend (cost of a local call) for
confirmation.
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UK
Domino's Pizza on Sky (OpenTV) (2.04Mb)
Domino's Interactive Advert on Sky links
directly to the Domino's E-Commerce Shop on Open....
where the viewer can browse and order pizza's (during
opening hours!)
Already 8% of Domino’s Pizza revenue is generated from iTV.
France
FNAC Boutique on TPS (OpenTV) (1.7Mb)
Produced using IDP's RegieLine
tool, this interactive shopping boutique for the major
French Music retailer FNAC allowed viewers to select from
a fairly extensive range of DVD's VHS tapes and CDs.
Particularly interesting was the ability to select a
product and complete a purchase in just a few clicks of
the remote control. Also note the prices are in both
French Francs and Euros! As with all RegieLine
applications, the transaction was completed online using
the STB's telephone modem, in this case to TPS's back
end.
Spain
Canal Club on CSD (Mediahighway) (6.6Mb)
In partnership with major Spanish
retailer El Corte Ingles, Canal Satelite in Spain provide
a home shopping service directly accessible from the OK
Plus Portal (See EPG & Navigation section)
Products include Home Cinema, Videos, Holidays, Videogames, Music, Books etc
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Australia
Pizza Hut (Liberate) (Flash Demo 160k)
In November 2000, ICE Interactive
and Pizza Hut launched the first two-way connected
T-commerce application in Australia, as part of
ICE’s pilot of interactive television in Orange, New
South Wales.
The Pizza Hut Interactive application has been designed
as a generic food and beverage iTV ordering application.
The application has the front-end and back-end
capabilities to suit any product including pizzas,
burgers, beer and wine, etc.
This interactive application is designed and built to
provide a secure environment, choices of pizzas, crusts
and quantity, extras including drinks and garlic bread,
home delivery or take-away options, and the ability to
enter any special order instructions such as ‘no
onions’ or ‘deliver to the back door’,
etc.
Australia
MasterCard (Liberate) (Flash Demo 163 k)
In February 2001, MasterCard
International and ICE Interactive enabled the first
Australian t-commerce transaction via a credit card as
part of ICE’s pilot of interactive television in
Orange, New South Wales..
The MasterCard Interactive application has been designed
as a generic product iTV ordering application. The
application has the front-end and back-end capabilities
to suit any catalogue-type product.
The MasterCard product purchase interactive application
provides a TV friendly and secure environment offering
three MasterCard International catalogue products to the
viewer. These product offerings were updated on a weekly
basis to keep the purchasing opportunities fresh. The
design of the application mirrored the look and feel of
the MasterCard brand and the navigation allowed the
viewer access to the current catalogue items, product
description, current offer, etc.
UK
Dixons Electrical Retail on Open.... (OpenTV) (5.66Mb)
(Offline, Available on
request)
Dixons is one of the UK's pioneers of T-Commerce having been part of the Open.... platform at launch. The service has many similarities with Dixons online retail services.
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