New report shows consumer education is the key to success for European iTV market

Consumers attitudes to the value of interactive services are key to the success of the European interactive TV market

New report shows consumer education is the key to success for European iTV market

Amsterdam, 5 September 2002 - A new report by Van Dusseldorp & Partners, the European digital strategy company behind TV meets the Web (www.tvmeetstheweb.com), reveals that consumers attitudes to the value of interactive services are key to the success of the European interactive TV market.

"At present, many DTV subscribers are not sufficiently aware of the iTV services that are made available to them via the digital platform," said co-author of the report, senior research analyst Ashley Smith. "There is considerable evidence that in developed European digital marketplaces such as the UK, the availability of interactive services currently has little impact on the consumers digital purchasing decision. Going forward, the industry needs to improve at educating users about the benefits of interactivity."

Audience patterns reveal that participation and direct individual involvement are important motivations behind iTV service consumption. "Having the opportunity to vote and express personal qualities through quizzes, registering high scores and text messaging are emerging as the key themes of television interaction," said Mr. Smith.

In order to attract new users and to lead a 'gradual change in user television behaviour, iTV applications should be simple, relevant and avoid complex content and interfaces. The report demonstrates that successful iTV applications offer highly entertaining content with broad market appeal through intuitive interfaces. "Gaming channels such as PlayJam highlight the principle," said Mr. Smith. "Users have demonstrated their willingness to pay for playing relatively unsophisticated games that, nevertheless, proved to be highly entertaining."

The European Interactive Television Report brings together key facts, figures and case studies from the European interactive TV sector. It covers the technologies, applications and developing standards across the most advanced national markets in Europe.

The report includes detailed surveys of current European trends and case studies. From insights into the key technology and infrastructure issues, to a study of the hardware, operating systems and applications available, this report is an essential guide to the evolving European iTV landscape.

"A feature of the report is the country by country review of iTV services, regulatory framework and key market players," said co-author of the report, research analyst Paola Contardo. "We cover not only mature markets like the UK and France, but also areas of Europe such as Scandinavia, Portugal and Italy, which have been poorly represented until now"

The report is available in either secure PDF (400 EUR) or in print (450 EUR).

To order the report online, please go to
www.vandusseldorp.com/publications/order.asp

For more information, and to view the full table of contents, please go to
www.vandusseldorp.com/publications/itv.asp or contact:

Ashley Smith, Senior Research Analyst
Tel: +31 20 330 2983
ashley@vandusseldorp.com

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About Vandusseldorp and Partners

Van Dusseldorp & Partners is a dynamic and experienced Amsterdam-based specialist in helping companies build businesses, stay informed and generate revenues from digital content markets in Europe.

We provide extensive bespoke commissioned research facilities ranging from in-depth market and sector analysis to fast, efficient data-collection services. Satisfied clients include Wolters Kluwer, NOS, Harvard University and the World Economic Forum and IBM. Recent published research includes a survey of the European interactive advertising sector, an overview of the European content syndication marketplace and a joint report produced in association with Aberdeen Group on digital content delivery strategies and technologies.

Contact Information:

Ashley Smith, Senior Research Analyst
Tel: +31 20 330 2983
ashley@vandusseldorp.com

Monique Van Dusseldorp CEO
Tel: + 31 20 6231 530
monique@vandusseldorp.com