ATIS IIF Releases Industry Roadmap for Development of IPTV Architecture Specifications

September 18, 2006, Washington – IPTV is several steps closer to a standardized technology base, due in large part to the recent publication of the IPTV Architecture Roadmap (ATIS-0800003) by the ATIS IPTV Interoperability Forum (IIF). The Roadmap prioritizes and scopes needed specification development efforts based on ATIS IIF’s IPTV Architecture Requirements (ATIS-0800002), released in June.

“The ATIS IIF is leading the creation of IPTV standards for the telecom industry,” said Susan M. Miller, president and CEO of ATIS. “The Roadmap is based on a unique set of architecture requirements the IIF developed from the technical contributions of telecom’s leading service providers and manufacturers, which are actively implementing IPTV services throughout North America and the world.”

The IPTV Architecture Roadmap defines the phases in which IPTV architecture standards will be developed. The first phase includes specifications for network/service attachment; service discovery; basic navigation through services; and regulatory compliance, including Emergency Alert Services (EAS), Closed Caption and Parental Advisory. This first phase of specifications is targeted for completion by the end of 2006. A second phase of specifications will address video-on-demand (VOD) and pay-per-view (PPV) transaction-based services.

Phase three will address Interactive TV, multiplayer games, Network PVR, and in-home peer-to-peer interaction.

The ATIS IIF Architecture Task Force also has a number of Phase 1 technical issues in development, including those addressing Remote Device Management, Multicast Network Service, Service Provider/Network Interface, and Client Device Attachment, among others. Separately from architecture specifications, the IIF is progressing with its specifications for Digital Rights Management and QoS Metrics.

The IIF is forming a task force in autumn 2006 that will address Testing and Interoperability, in preparation for the completion of specifications and to ensure that the specifications under development create a seamless end-to-end solution for IPTV from the content provider through the service and network providers to the consumer.

There are more than 50 ATIS member companies actively engaged in ATIS’ IPTV standardization efforts through the ATIS IIF, including Verizon, Qwest, BellSouth, AT&T, Bell Canada, BT, Alcatel, Siemens, Nortel, Cisco, Motorola, Intel, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems, among others. The ATIS IIF was formed at the recommendation of an IPTV Exploratory Group to the ATIS Board of Directors.

The ATIS IIF coordinates its work with several other standards development bodies, including the ITU-T, the Consumer Electronics Association, the Digital Video Broadcasting Project, the Digital Living Network Alliance, and the DSL Forum.

For more information about the ATIS IIF, visit www.atis.org/iif. The ATIS IIF documents are available in the ATIS Document Center at https://www.atis.org/docstore/default.aspx.

About ATIS

ATIS is a technical planning and standards development organization that is committed to rapidly developing and promoting technical and operations standards for the communications and related information technologies industry worldwide using a pragmatic, flexible and open approach. Participants from more than 350 communications companies are active in ATIS’ 24 industry committees and Incubator Solutions Program. www.atis.org

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