Indiana's ETC upgrades IPTV with Innovative Systems

Indiana Provider Upgrades IPTV Service

SUNMAN, IN — Serving ten counties in Southeastern Indiana, Enhanced Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) has chosen Innovative Systems as their new IPTV middleware vendor. When asked why they decided to invest in traditional linear video instead of app based live streaming, Network Engineer Scott Ruwe credits the ETC marketing team for tapping into their customers with focus groups and surveys to find out what they want for video. Ruwe says that the vast majority of their video subscribers just want to turn on their TVs and watch the news in the simplest, most efficient way possible. The culture of communicating customer use cases to the technical decision makers has been critical to ETC’s video planning.

Built-in Support Tools a Game Changer

Ruwe appreciates Innovative’s integrated support tools like the Virtual Remote™ that can quickly resolve customer issues that used to require trouble tickets and costly home visits. Because most questions can be answered and resolved in minutes by logging into the customer STB, the ETC support staff takes the opportunity while on the phone to offer customers a “teaching moment”. They can use the Virtual Remote™ to demonstrate new middleware features like Restart TV and Cloud DVR.

Ruwe considers the middleware conversion 100% successful because the solution is reliable and just works, as he hears very little in the way of feedback. This lack of feedback for the technical department is a good thing.

Tighter System Integration is Essential for Rural Providers

Ruwe likes the option to add live streaming when their customers show a greater interest with the MG-TV concept. The ability to add an app based video service to their existing linear system without taking on new vendors is more efficient and less expensive in the long run and one of the reasons that ETC chose the Innovative Systems solution.