Publication Type: Media Release
Date: 3/26/2008CONTACT: Joy Sims, 202-222-2350; Eric Thomas, Fratelli Group, 202-822-9491
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As cable operators nationwide continue to deploy tru2way™ technology supporting new interactive TV services that will work without a set-top box, content innovators, applications developers and new media visionaries will join together for a conference in conjunction with The Cable Show ’08 that will enhance deployment of this platform.
Formerly called the “OpenCable Applications Platform,” tru2way represents an exciting new era for interactive television that will allow consumers to access creative applications anywhere within cable’s footprint in which the software platform has been deployed.
The second annual Tru2way Developers Conference begins Saturday, May 17, and runs through noon on Sunday, May 18, just prior to the official start of The Cable Show, the 57th Annual Convention and International Exposition of National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s (NCTA), in New Orleans May 18-20.
The Tru2way Developers Conference, produced by NCTA in partnership with CableLabs® and premier sponsor Vidiom Systems, will provide a forum for cable operators, content providers, Java and interactive TV (iTV) developers and companies to share ideas and information regarding the latest tools and trends in rollout of the tru2way platform. The conference will offer a full agenda of business and technology sessions, as well as hands-on workshops designed to promote further developments in the Java-based tru2way universe.
Confirmed speakers at the conference include Dr. Richard R. Green, President and CEO of CableLabs, and Paul Liao, Chief Technology Officer for Panasonic. Topics that the conference will highlight include programming, platform, consumer electronics, application development and retail opportunities. Additional speakers will be announced shortly.
“Tru2way is the path to the future of television,” said CableLabs’ Dr. Green. “The participants in this conference are developing the guidelines and applications that will influence the design of new products and services that will benefit consumers for years to come.”
“Because tru2way is built on open standards, the opportunities for developers, cable operators and programmers are nearly unlimited,” added Dr. William Check, NCTA’s Senior Vice President for Science and Technology. “The Tru2way Developers Conference will plant the seeds for exciting new ideas and applications that will become the interactive television future.”
Developers Lab and Showcase Challenge
The conference also will feature the tru2way Developers Lab, an opportunity for Java coders to receive in-depth training and access to the tools and equipment needed to write tru2way applications and test them on a live development set-top box. Participation in the Developers Lab is limited, and individuals must pre-qualify at www.thecableshow.com/tru2way. The Lab is made possible by support from Vidiom, Intel, Softel, Unisoft and ADB.
In addition, a Developers Showcase Challenge will play a key role at the conference. Individuals in the Java development community can access the tru2way toolset before the show, develop an application, and submit it for review. Those with the most interesting applications will be invited to attend the conference and present their concepts both at the Developers Conference and throughout the show in the CableNET Technology Showcase.
The conference agenda also includes a networking lunch and reception in the tru2way Pavilion, and a product and application showcase featuring demonstrations of the latest technology, tools, and emerging applications.
Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities
Separate registration for the Tru2Way Developers Conference is required, but participants who register for The Cable Show ’08 are eligible to attend at a discounted rate.
Information on registration for the Tru2way Developers Conference, as well as on sponsorship and exhibit opportunities, is available online at www.thecableshow.com/tru2way, or by contacting Michael Garner at NCTA Convention Headquarters at 202-463-7905 or mgarner@ncta.com.
The Cable Show ’08, the U.S. cable industry’s premier annual convention, runs May 18-20, 2008, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Additional, up-to-the-minute information for The Cable Show ’08 is available at www.thecableshow.com.
NCTA is the principal trade association for the U.S. cable industry, representing cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks. The cable industry is the nation’s largest broadband provider of high-speed Internet access after investing more than $130 billion over ten years to build a two-way interactive network with fiber optic technology. Cable companies also provide state-of-the-art digital telephone service to millions of American consumers.