FiOS TV App Store on the GO
August 4, 2009

Another NEW in FiOS that will forever change TV experience. Verizon Communications is ready to open up its new Widget Bazaar to 3rd party developers. Initially, Widget Bazaar was just a storefront for new widgets or application developed by Verizon partners only, though they have already mentioned the possibility of such application.

Today, Verizon announces its bigger ambitions for FiOS TV App Store which included API’s and software development kit third-party software developers. They also revealed that they are planning to create a process of approval for this applications, and like VCast App Store, they plan to allow these developers to charge for their applications.

The detailed plan on this has not been finalize but it’s more likely that it would be similar to newly announced VCast App store. If so, it will be a 70-30 sharing of revenue from their applications. The same ratior that Apple uses in dviding its revenue on Apps.

"From the beginning we said we wanted Fios to be a platform for innovation," Verizon CIO Shaygan Kheradpir said. "So we are not limiting innovation to any particular circle of developers. But we are taking things one step at a time. And we will start with applications from our partners, and then we'll move toward opening it up to third-party developers."

Details of how applications will be approved haven't been revealed, but it's likely the business arrangement for the Widget Bazaar will be similar to that of the newly announced VCast app store, which means that developers will likely keep 70 percent of revenue from their applications, while giving 30 percent to Verizon. This is the same ratio Apple uses in dividing its revenue for its popular iTunes App Store.

Kherapdir said that "From the beginning we said we wanted Fios to be a platform for innovation," Verizon CIO Shaygan Kheradpir said. "So we are not limiting innovation to any particular circle of developers. But we are taking things one step at a time. And we will start with applications from our partners, and then we'll move toward opening it up to third-party developers."

Details on this said Kherapdir will be announced on the fourth quarter when the Widget Bazaar developer SDK is already available.

Changing How We Watch TV
Twitter and Facebook was the first social-networking application in Widget Bazaar. Though Kherapdir didn’t share the number of usage for each, he said that he was quite surplus with the result. And Verizon is actually starting to modify its applications based on user feedback. A good example is that, the ability to post updates to Twitter and Facebook which was not done before. And this is really added service and TV experience for FiOS subscribers.

Kherapdir said that they are careful not re-create the Web experience on the TV, according to him, it was a lesson that Verizon learn from Microsoft’s early WebTV efforts in late 1990’s. The WebTV allowed people to surf the Net on their TV’s. “surfing isn’t exactly what people want to do whey they’re sitting in front of their TV’s”, Khapdir argued. And “people don’t necessarily want a full browser on their TV, he explained.

Even as the company adds more functionality to the existing Widget services, Kheradpir said the company is being careful not to re-create the Web experience on the TV. This is a lesson that Verizon and others marching down the IPTV path have learned from Microsoft's early WebTV efforts in the late 1990s.

WebTV, which came with a keyboard, allowed people to surf the Net on their TVs. But Kheradpir argued that "surfing" isn't exactly what people want to do when they're sitting in front of their TVs. People don't necessarily want a full browser on their TV," he explained. "TV viewing is still very much a sitting back experience. And what people really want is a service that is relevant to the TV viewing experience and also provides a simple interface with one click access."

Verizon according to Kherapdir is not really trying to change completely how we watch TV but instead, the company is finding a way to enhance TV viewing experience and they think that providing interactive applications are contextually relevant to today’s lifestyle.

Kherapdir mentioned on his personal experience that having Twitter linked to his FiOS improved his experienced in watching the Academy Awards. You could see the live tweets on the side of your screen, and it was a really a different experience. People could engaged in the discussion right in their own couch.

More than a year now, Verizon has given its FiOS subscribers the ability to access their digital pictures and music stored on their PC’s on TV’s anywhere in the house. Now, they have also allowed to view videos on TV as well. And soon, SD memory card could also be attached and viewed right on their TV screen.

Competitor of Verizon is now trying to compete their IP networks to offer new services to its subscribers but none has opened its network to a third party developers. One of their well-konow competitor in this area is Yahoo with its TV widgest platform partnering with HDTV and Blu-ray player manufacturers to get its widget technology embedded in the hardware.

Kherapdir is not worried about the competition, he said that Verizon’s value is in offering the subscribers a total solution.

"Our job is to make it as easy as possible for consumers to consume the applications or services they want to use," he said. "We make it simple."