BONN, Germany -- Deutsche Telekom is launching the Deutsche Telekom Interactive TV Award just as the world's largest IT computer fair opens its doors. This competition is aimed at further developing internet-based television, for example by giving viewers the opportunity to influence events. Starting on March 4, creative minds, software developers, and people who simply have an interest in television will have four weeks to develop their concepts and submit them by April 4. Prize money of EUR 1 million in total will be up for grabs. In organizing this competition, Deutsche Telekom is looking to make IPTV more interactive and advance the television of the future with the input of imaginative people.

"The Interactive TV Award is the opportunity for creative IPTV minds to turn their ideas into reality. We are inviting the international developer community to help shape the television of the future", said Marc Schröder, Board member for Communication Services in Deutsche Telekom's Products & Innovation segment. Deutsche Telekom's broadband IPTV platform, which is based on the high-speed VDSL network with speeds of up to 50 Mbit/s, provides the ideal framework for broadband transmission and interaction for the television of tomorrow, Schröder emphasized. The IPTV competition will give participants the opportunity to develop new ideas and viable concepts in the field of interactive television, have them evaluated, and build up implementation experience on one of Europe's largest IPTV platforms. The competition is open to all individuals, groups of people and start-ups, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises and institutions that identify the potential of interactive television and enjoy developing and implementing innovative ideas and creative concepts.

Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT)