Press Release
Netgem, the leading connected entertainment solution provider for telecom operators, has announced it has added integration of Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service to its cloud-based entertainment software provider. The integration means a new Netgem-developed Alexa skill, which is now available for operators across Netgem’s global footprint to integrate with their service offerings, will enrich the viewer experience and make finding content easier.
The skill, which has seen its first launch on EE TV in the UK, enables customers using Amazon Echo and Echo Dot to interact with their set-top box using their voice. After linking EE TV to Alexa via the Alexa app, customers can simply say “what’s on TV tonight”, and get recommendations that they can then watch, or set the programmes to be recorded using a simple voice command. Consumers can also ask Alexa what’s currently on and what’s coming up on a particular channel, so they don’t miss the programmes they want to watch.
Skills are app-like capabilities third party developers can add to Alexa, enabling customers to engage with their products and services through voice. By launching a new Alexa skill that enables users to interact with their set-top box, Netgem is empowering operators to give their customers the capability to find and watch the shows they want faster and easier.
Commenting on the news, Sylvain Thevenot, Managing Director, Netgem Operator Solutions, said: “Voice is rapidly becoming an integral part of how users interact with their devices. This dedicated Alexa Skill represents our latest innovation to enable viewers to better engage with their TV content quickly and easily, instead of requiring them to scroll through a text-based EPG. The launch of this feature reinforces Netgem’s commitment to provide operators with innovative and market-leading solutions that will offer them a competitive edge in a fast-moving marketplace.”
Commenting on the news, Paolo Pescatore, VP, Multiplay and Media, CCS Insight, said: “Given the fragmented nature of TV services today, we believe that voice will play a pivotal role in finding the programmes consumers want to watch. More importantly the support for Amazon Alexa goes one step further than other current TV set-top-boxes in supporting additional voice features.
“This latest move clearly underlines the importance of software in enhancing a TV service.”
This innovation is the latest in a series of developments that Netgem has brought to market to enable operators to provide innovative in- and out-of-home entertainment services. Others include the integration of Watch with Twitter, which recommends content based on the most discussed shows, and a large number of OTT-delivered linear channels into the EPG, making them easier to discover and access.
