Operators and vendors to test and demonstrate best practices in monetisation, content delivery, advertising and innovative services. New participating commercial partners are Amdocs, BT, Call Genie, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, EBIZmobility, Subex and Telcordia

Morristown, NJ – May 12th, 2008 – The TM Forum announced today the second phase of its highly acclaimed Content Encounter initiative which will be demonstrated at Management World, Nice, 18 – 22 May 2008. Content Encounter shows how different organisations involved in providing digital commercial products and services can deliver and charge for those products and services successfully.  Relevant to service providers, content providers, advertisers, telecom software and hardware vendors, and system integrators, the TM Forum has created a fully functioning eco-system enabling the development of best practices and standards for all companies involved.

Amdocs, BT, Call Genie, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, EBIZmobility, Subex and Telcordia are the new participating commercial partners joining the original sponsorship team of AT&T, Alcatel-Lucent, BEA, Cognizant, IBM, Microsoft, Motorola and Westwood One.  Content Encounter showcases digital media solutions for both immediate operational management challenges and opportunities for innovation.

“Innovations like ShapeShifting media will create new revenues and drive long-term management needs across our converging industries,” Says Dan Marks CEO BT Vision, “BT is pleased to support Content Encounter by introducing the ShapeShifting media innovation as an example of the way we can use a 21st century network to deliver not only existing media but also enable new forms of personalised entertainment experiences that will differentiate broadband media services from those delivered via broadcast.”

Phase I of Content Encounter identified interfaces and data models that needed to be standardised for the plethora of parties involved in the overall delivery of service to communicate effectively. Phase II adds enrichment to this work and includes a revenue management and billing framework. Alongside this, the TM Forum and participating organisations continue to investigate and develop new methodologies for assuring the end-to-end quality of experience in this complex environment.

Visitors to Content Encounter II will see several key aspects of the commercialisation of services for the digital media market in action.  These will include:

- Serving targeted, highly relevant advertising based on end-user preferences
- Delivering content anywhere, anytime and on any device, with high-value adaptation
- Targeting content based on user preferences, consumption, location, presence to deliver the most personalised content experience
- Creating a consistent experience across all devices and channels
- Managing content as a resource for new, sticky service bundles that boost subscriber loyalty
- Monetising user-generated content, mash-ups, social networking, the Web 2.0 experience with a converged and automated infrastructure
- Promoting superior quality of experience using key quality indicators

Jim Warner, head of Content Encounter, TM Forum, said:  ‘In Phase II, we see the realisation of commercializing content of all kinds.  Our new sponsoring partners have brought critical products to the mix to enable this development.  In Phase III, we will make some of this work publicly available while still pushing ahead to develop standards for this ever-changing landscape. ‘