The SafariFusion^tm Visual Communications Suite (VCS) is a holistic approach to communications management that optimizes subscriber control over telecommunications functionalities at the television and other endpoints. Using SafariFusion VCS, service providers can offer new, highly-differentiated services that allow subscribers to balance privacy, accessibility and the ability to retrieve messages and respond to callers at the subscriber’s own convenience during television viewing, Web browsing and other activities.

As consumers demand for access to media and communications on any device has increased, service providers have begun to provide innovative solutions that move beyond first-generation converged services to create new applications that can build value for existing and potential subscribers and ultimately will create new revenue opportunities for the industry.

While much of the attention in this area has focused on cross-platform viewing of video, operators are recognizing the value of building on the success of first-generation services utilizing the TV and bringing a wide variety of new, highly differentiated telecommunications services to the television. These visual communications applications allow subscribers to exercise greater control at the television over their entire communications environment, including: the ability to evaluate each potential interruption to the viewing experience in real time, and the ability to retrieve messages and respond to callers at the subscriber’s convenience. SafariFusion VCS delivers the control and convenience that subscribers are demanding.

Delivering Service Control to the Operator and Subscriber

VCS allows for customization to a specific operator’s requirements. VCS, gives the operator the ability to customize the look and feel of the user interface, incorporating their branding elements such as logo, colors and fonts, delivering a truly branded service to the subscriber.

In addition VCS gives the operator control over location and duration of notifications such as Caller ID (CID), Message Waiting Indicator (MWI), and Call Logs (CL).

Through the Communication Control Center, subscribers can easily manage both the VCS services and it’s look and feel through the set-top remote control. Turning notifications on or off, enabling and disabling features, accessing call logs, managing network address books and even moving the pop-up dialog boxes to different parts of the screen are just a button click away.

Creating Incremental Sources of Revenue

Market research has shown that basic TV Caller ID services have been effective at both getting existing customers to upgrade to triple play services and attracting new customers from competitive offerings. VCS not only provides the basic caller ID functionality but goes beyond generation of basic service revenue by providing operators with the ability to add new features like Visual Voicemail, Call Screening and Request for Information (RFI).

VCS RFI creates and effective, low cost targeted advertising opportunity. When a TV show or movie cuts to a commercial, the operator can insert; the name and phone number of an advertiser and or their product; email address; or website address. The subscriber, using the remote control, can dial the displayed number. In addition operators and advertisers have the ability to run a “limited time” or “call now” offer to increase advertising effectiveness.

An Integrated, Standards-Based Approach

Cedar Point Communications leverages an integrated, standards-based architecture that combines open source and third-party software and standards-based hardware platforms with internally developed software components. 

As a member of the SafariFusion family of products, VCS runs on the SafariFusion Application Platform (AP). The SafariFusion architecture and the use of commercially available server hardware allows for cost-effective scaling from small to very large systems depending on operator requirements and network topology. Network operators can distribute the application over a large number of small sites or concentrate the deployment in a single data center.

VCS utilizes EBIF, tru2Way, or IPTV to deliver the services to the set-top box and all of it’s features can be conveniently accessed and modified from the set-top box remote control device.

Download the SafariFusion VCS datasheet for more information.  For additional information on solutions from Cedar Point, visit our literature page where you can download datasheets, whitepapers and application sheets.