Coming Next: ISP Services That Don't Require Internet

Delivering (some of) the benefits of broadband to those who don't have it.

by Alex Goldman ISP-Planet Managing Editor [August 1, 2006]

San Diego, Calif.-based Aplus.Net, a veteran webhost, is now delivering a service to set top boxes. Last month, the company announced a program to deliver photos to television screens through TiVO boxes.

"On the TiVO menu," explains Theo Ivanov, Aplus.Net marketing director, "you have menu items such as 'watch TV' and if you scroll down, you can find our service, Web-a-photo. It can be tough to type in e-mail addresses on a TV remote, so, with our service, you don't need a mouse, and you don't need any special equipment."

Other companies are promoting other services through the TiVO menu.

The Web-a-photo service itself, Ivanov explains, has been around for three or four years. It's the TiVO service that's new. Ivanov explains that Aplus.Net customers may want to share photos with people who have TiVOs but not broadband, or might be visiting a friend (or their parents) and want to share photos.

"We're giving people more opportunities to share," says Nathan Denny, Aplus.Net marketing writer. "The main advantage is if you have a party. People who have TiVOs usually have home entertainment centers and large TVs."

The TiVO service is still in Beta. It is therefore free. Aplus.Net will charge $9.95 for the TiVO service when it comes out of beta.

Next for Aplus.Net is delivering photos to mobile phones. That service, MOBUP, is now in beta.

"We're constantly improving the service, adding new features," says Denny. "We're adding the features that customers ask for. We keep getting feedback from our customers."

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