itaas Partners with Comcast to Develop EBIF Powered User Agent

Duluth, Ga. based provider of multi-platform solutions, itaas has announced that it has completed integration and development work with Comcast (News - Alert) Corporation on a user agent built on CableLabs' Enhanced Binary Interface Format (EBIF) specification for use on Cisco set-top boxes. itaas will offer MSOs an EBIF deployment package for use with Motorola (News - Alert) set-top boxes that includes a license, deployment support and maintenance services.

Following this development, MSOs, including Comcast Corporation, will be in a position to expand their current EBIF-enabled footprints and accelerate deployment of interactive advertising and other enhanced applications - such as caller ID, widgets for news and weather, customer self-service and instant subscription type interactive applications - to set tops already in customers' homes.

Powered by the EBIF engine developed by Comcast subsidiary TVWorks, LLC, the user agent allows cable operators quickly and reliably deploy a standard interactive television platform.

"We are excited to provide development expertise to extend the reach of the EBIF platform" said Vibha Rustagi, CEO of itaas. "The in-depth experience that we have gained in porting this user agent lends itself to our ability to support it for other MSOs also wishing to deploy EBIF applications in the near future, regardless of which set-top boxes their customers are using."

Comcast has deployed the TVWorks EBIF user agent across 12 million homes or 20 million set-top boxes. The company plans to test the newly ported user agent in its Cisco (News - Alert) footprint later this year.

"We're using EBIF to help our customers enjoy new ways of interacting with the programming and services on their televisions, like caller ID, and this is an important step in being able to bring these types of enhanced experiences to even more people," said Mark Hess, Senior Vice President of Advanced Business and Technology Development for Comcast. "itaas continues to be a terrific partner in helping us efficiently and effectively support EBIF on as many set-top types as possible."

In related news, itaas had announced that it will provide support for Enhanced Binary Interface Format (EBIF) applications using the Aptiv guide on both Motorola and Cisco (News - Alert) set-top boxes.