Viapass TV selects Microsoft Mediaroom to power next-generation hospitality TV services

July 10, 2009

3 Min Read

REDMOND, Wash. -- Viapass, the French network services and telecoms operator, has selected Microsoft Mediaroom with virtualization as the software platform to deliver a breakthrough Internet Protocol television (IPTV) service to its business customers worldwide through its division Viapass TV.

The Viapass TV service enables hotels and Viapass’s other business customers, such as major hospitals and luxury residences, to take advantage of the Mediaroom platform to deliver a customized TV service, including live TV, high-definition TV, video on demand and rich interactive TV applications, over a private Internet Protocol network.

“Hotel operators are excited by the possibilities offered by next-generation IPTV,” said Eric Legros, sales and marketing manager for Viapass. “They have already started to talk about our Microsoft Mediaroom-based solution as the most advanced hospitality juke box on the market. With Mediaroom, we can bring them a cost-effective platform that offers guests a highly personalized TV service with an extensive lineup of live and on-demand high-definition content as well as innovative information and service applications. Hotel guests are accustomed to a sophisticated TV viewing experience at home, and hotel operators, especially in the luxury sector, need to ensure that the TV experience they offer matches or even surpasses this, helping them to differentiate from their competitors, drive services revenue and attract and retain clientele.”

In addition to enabling the delivery of a great lineup of digital TV channels and an extensive video on demand library, the Mediaroom platform provides an applications platform for Viapass and its customers to add innovative TV applications tailored to meet the needs of their guests. Possibilities include up-to-the minute travel information and financial and personalized news applications.

As the official Internet and network services provider for all events hosted by Cannes Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Viapass is also able to distribute special event content, or even specific TV channels such as TV Festival (which broadcasts live during the Cannes Film Festival), via the Mediaroom platform for hotel guests to watch in their rooms.

Viapass initially targeted the French Riviera market, where the company provides high-profile Internet and network services for many of the large hotels. Viapass is already seeing significant interest from international chains looking to use this Mediaroom-powered service to extend their TV services to hotels across Europe and overseas. Viapass also has been discussing this solution with key organizations in the healthcare industry, and a number of large hospitals are already very interested in this Mediaroom-powered solution.

Viapass TV is expected to be the first customer in Europe to launch a service using Mediaroom with virtualization, in the last quarter of 2009. The use of Mediaroom with virtualization enables Viapass TV to deploy a full-featured IPTV service with greatly reduced hardware requirements at a customer site in a matter of weeks. In addition to network engineering and integration, Viapass TV will handle all content acquisition and management, while partnering with Cisco Systems Inc. for networking equipment, and with several providers for set-top boxes.

“Virtualization has enabled Microsoft to extend the Mediaroom footprint to new markets,” said Colin Morrison, EMEA sales director for the TV, Video and Music Business at Microsoft Corp. “We’re delighted that Viapass TV has chosen to use our technology to deliver a groundbreaking IPTV service for the hospitality industry. Mediaroom enables Viapass TV customers to offer their guests the very best in connected entertainment.”

Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT)

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