Itaas develops EBIF solution to expand availability of interactive platform

Itaas has completed integration and development work with Comcast on a user agent built on CableLabs’ Enhanced Binary Interface Format (EBIF) specification for use on Cisco set-top boxes. This will enable MSOs, including Comcast 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-top boxes already in customers’ homes.

The user agent is built on the EBIF engine developed by TVWorks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast, and builds on the companies’ collaborative efforts to help cable operators quickly and reliably deploy a standard interactive TV platform. Through a licensing agreement with TVWorks, itaas offers MSOs an EBIF deployment package for use with Motorola set-top boxes that includes a license, deployment support and maintenance services.