Cedar Point Communications is going beyond caller ID on the TV, with a suite of visual communication applications for cable system operators that includes several variations of voicemail and outbound-calling features that work across multiple devices.
The SafariFusion Visual Communications Suite takes advantage of capabilities of Cedar Point's SafariFusion Application Platform, introduced last fall. The apps are compatible with EBIF and tru2way specs and can be delivered to any device, including set-top boxes, broadband-connected TVs, PCs, iPads, tablets and mobile devices.
Typically MSOs would expect to bundle in certain features, such as caller ID on the TV, as part of a standard voice service, said Jeff Walker, Cedar Point vice president of marketing. Features that may be offered at a premium include visual voicemail, speech-to-text conversion and call screening.
"These will actually increase ARPU [average revenue per user]," Walker said.
The apps can run with Cedar Point's phone switch or another vendor's IMS switch, according to Walker. At this point the company has tested the SafariFusion Visual Communications Suite with the EBIF agent for Motorola set-top boxes that works with the i-Guide from GuideWorks, the joint venture of Comcast and Rovi.
The first implementation of SafariFusion Visual Communications Suite will begin in July, with general availability of the software in September, Walker said.
Cedar Point is based in Derry, N.H., with its European headquarters in Meersburg, Germany.
