Pioneer Telephone Cooperative (www.ptci.com) of Kingfisher, Oklahoma, has implemented VideoDirect 6000 with ad insertion support for digital tier channels from Enhanced Telecommunications, Inc. d/b/a ETI Software (ETI). ETI is a leading provider of automated, flow-through service activation and ad insertion systems.
Pioneer Telephone Cooperative has been providing high-quality telecommunication services to the region for more than 50 years, including telephone, Internet, long distance, security, business systems, wireless and digital television. Pioneer’s service area covers 76 exchanges, 10,900 square miles, and serves more than 50,000 subscribers in 30 Oklahoma counties. Pioneer is one of the largest telephone cooperatives in the United States.
With ETI’s VideoDirect 6000, Pioneer inserts local advertising spots during the national programming of the largest digital cable TV networks in the country. National networks such as CNN, MSNBC, ESPN and The Weather Channel allow the insertion of two or three minutes of locally produced material for each hour of programming. Additionally, Pioneer uses VideoDirect to run locally produced content and insert self-promotions for the services it offers to subscribers.
“With the advent of digital television, the number of channels has grown exponentially as have the opportunities to insert local advertising during national broadcasts,” says Scott Ulsaker, Director of Video Services, Pioneer Telephone Cooperative. “ETI’s VideoDirect provides a powerful platform that enables us to run local content on major networks while providing powerful billing and tracking features.”
ETI’s VideoDirect 6000 platform works in conjunction with networks deploying either analog or digital program insertion or a combination of both. It uses the same architecture for local or network endpoint applications, using its own host server or standard Video-on-Demand Servers for ad storage and streaming. Interfaces between ETI’s ad server and the Video Splicer are SCTE compliant.
Additionally, the platform is pre-integrated to traffic and billing software to manage customer accounts, schedule ad spots and generate bills.
“Digital television presents both challenges and opportunities for regional providers such as Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, including the potential to generate additional ad revenue through ad insertion,” says Peter M. Pifer, President and CEO, ETI. “ETI’s VideoDirect 6000 provides a powerful platform to take advantage of this opportunity with easy integration into existing systems.”
About Enhanced Telecommunications, Inc. d/b/a ETI Software Solutions (www.etisoftware.com)
ETI Software’s world-class software products enable telephone, utilities and municipalities to successfully sell, bill and activate telecommunication services. With unparalleled provisioning capabilities, ETI’s products instantaneously activate voice, video and data services to any technology over any network topography, including Fiber-to-the-Premise. Founded in 1992, the company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and privately held.