Sky Interactive, a subsidiary of UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB, is launching a web site to help educate the industry about the opportunities for interactive TV services and drive the growth of the Sky digital television platform.
Sky Interactive is responsible for the development of enhanced and interactive television services for Sky channels and provides services to third-party channels and advertisers on the Sky platform.
Aimed at a non-technical audience, the slick new web site offers advice on the options available and and an overview of how to create and launch an interactive service. Unlike some other corporate marketing sites, it actually provides relevant information aimed at explaining the opportunities available and how to get started, with case studies and advice from third-party industry experts, including a contribution from informitv.
Needless to say, the site concentrates exclusively on the Sky platform. Clearly there is a commercial driver for this initiative, both in promoting the use of Sky Interactive in-house development services, but also in stimulating the wider market for interactive television.
Ian Shepherd, the managing director of Sky Interactive says that the biggest barrier to the growth of interactive television has been a lack of understanding and that the company plans to do more to promote the medium.