11:05 AM - 12:20 PM
Track II:
Interactive TV/DTV Middleware Enabling Solutions: from Interactive Guides to Interfaces
As consumer offerings via the set-top, from broadband, interactive TV and DTV emerge, the choices in "middleware," that solutions that make the content useful and dynamic for the TV viewer become more vital. Whether it is called DTV, ETV, TVs with Interactive Programming, on-demand TV viewing, or customized or Personalized TV, there are a group of companies who have set the stage for this next TV generation, and we are pleased to have them represented at this session
Joe Franzetta, Senior Vice President Business Development, GoldPocket Interactive
Gil Dudkiewicz, CEO, MyDTV
Bill Sheppard, Industry Marketing Manager, Digital Television, Sun Microsystems
Eric Miller, CTO, Vidiom Systems
John Kelleher, General Manager, Tribune Media Services, Electronic Program Guides
Mark Schaszberger, Chairman and CEO, IMAKE Software & Services, Inc.
Ian Weightman, Vice President and Research Director, IMS Research, Moderator
Bill Sheppard is Industry Marketing Manager for Digital Television at Sun Microsystems. Upon joining Sun in 1997 he initiated Sun's digital television initiative and has been centrally involved with worldwide efforts to craft a Java-based standard for next-generation television technology. The transition to digital television with the resulting ability of delivering applications and interactivity via television promises to transform consumers' relationship with broadcast media and enable the delivery of government, education, and community services to billions of people where Internet and personal computer technology aren't widely available. Mr. Sheppard works with governments, standards bodies, cable and satellite operators, broadcasters, device manufacturers, and content providers worldwide to drive the architecture, development, and adoption of standards-based DTV technology. Prior to joining Sun Mr. Sheppard worked at IBM followed by eight years as regional sales manager with a leading embedded operating system vendor. Mr. Sheppard is on the Board of Directors of the Interactive Television Alliance. Mr. Sheppard, an avid trombonist, holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Iowa State University.
John Kelleher, General Manager for Electronic Program Guides, Trib
une Media Services: John Kelleher is General Manager for Electronic Program Guides, Tribune Media Services (TMS) in Chicago, where he is responsible for overseeing the sales and operational development of TMS’ Passive and Interactive Programming Guides. TMS has multiple interactive and passive guide products to offer on-screen solutions for consumer-electronic devices, as well as cable and direct-broadcast satellite markets. TMS’ interactive program guide (IPG) utilizes unique patented technology to help consumers navigate the wealth of linear, non-linear multiple video sources. The passive program guide (PPG) is available in 9 million homes worldwide. In both product categories, TMS offers the ability to brand and customize the look, feel and functionality of the end product. Kelleher has worked in various capacities for TMS since 1986, first in the TV Listings Division in Queensbury, New York, then at his current location at TMS’ Chicago headquarters. In November 1999, as part of an internal re-organization and renaming of the division from Tribune Media Services Database and Advertising Products to TMS Entertainment Products, Kelleher was named General Manager, Television Products, TMS Entertainment. Kelleher’s title has since evolved to reflect his primary focus on the Zap2it EPG. Prior to that Kelleher worked for the former TMS Database and Advertising Products division in Chicago, moving up the ranks as Director of Operations, Director of Sales and General Manager Sales, all for Database Products. From 1986-95, Kelleher worked as General Manager of the TV Listings Division of TMS in Queensbury. During his first two years at the company, he assumed added responsibility as Director of Technical Operations, (6/87 - 10/88) and Senior Software Engineer (9/86 - 6/87). Prior to joining TMS, he served briefly as Senior Software Engineer for Identification & Security Systems in Albany, New York, and prior to that spent two years as a Software Engineer for Data General Corporation in Westboro, Massachusetts. He received an M.B.A. from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute; Troy, New York and a B.A. Computer Science/Mathematics at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.Joe Franzetta, Senior Vice President Business Development, GoldPocket Interactive: As Senior Vice President of Business Development at GoldPocket Interactive, Joe Franzetta oversees the company's business development efforts with broadcast and cable networks, advertisers, and producers. Before joining GoldPocket, he spent three years as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy at Mixed Signals Technologies, Inc., a leading iTV technology and services company. At Mixed Signals, Franzetta managed all business development and strategy efforts, including key customer relationships and technical partnerships. Franzetta also has ten years of corporate legal experience, most recently as Vice President, Corporate Legal Department at Sony Pictures Entertainment and, prior to that, as Partner, Corporate Department at Katten Muchin & Zavis in Los Angeles and Chicago. Franzetta holds a JD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and a BS in Economics and Political Science from Allegheny College. He is licensed to practice law in California and Illinois.
Gil Dudkiewicz, CEO, MyDTV: With over 10 years of management and
organizational experience, Gil is the driving force behind the vision of MyDTV and is responsible for the company’s daily operations. Gil has several years of international experience in consulting project management, marketing, and business development, providing technology counsel for media companies, including Universal Studios, and several top-ranked television stations. He was previously the director of marketing and business development at Tefen USA, an industrial engineering and system analysis firm, were he established the company’s media practice. Prior to that, Gil was a captain in the Israeli Air force. He holds a B.Sc. in Engineering from the Technion-Israel, and an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley. Eric Miller, CTO, Vidiom Systems, Eric Miller has spent the last 1
9 years developing innovative middleware, tools, and applications for the cable, satellite, and multimedia industries. As CTO at Vidiom Systems, Eric is responsible for creating Vidiom's technology strategies, and working with cable operators and other strategic partners within the cable, satellite, and consumer electronics industries to define their future technology strategies. Eric lead the Vidiom engineering effort to create the first software implementation of the OpenCable™ Open Cable Application Platform (OCAP) 1.0 specification for Time Warner Cable. Eric is actively involved in defining the architecture for Vidiom’s OCAP software platform, as well as Vidiom’s OCAP-related application development toolset, Vision Workbench. Eric played a role in defining and developing the middleware architecture and software for Mystro TV, a Time Warner software group recently acquired by Time Warner Cable and now known as the Time Warner Cable Advanced Technology Group West. The middleware was designed to enhance and co-exist with the existing PowerTV OS for legacy set-top boxes. Before joining Vidiom Systems, Eric was the Chief Scientist for Set-Top Technology at Canal+ US Technologies. In that role, he focused on standardization of set-top box interfaces as well as building a U.S. presence for Canal+. Eric spent 13 years at Microware Systems Corporation as an Engineer, Manager, and VP of New Media R&D. Eric was instrumental in developing the CD-RTOS operating system environment for the CD-i industry, and the DAVID operating system for the ITV industry. Both were licensed to over 20 set-top box manufacturers and involved in world wide technology deployments.Mark Schaszberger is the Chairman and CEO of IMAKE Software & Servic
es, Inc., a leading software and systems integration firm with a premier product, e.merge, within the interactive television, internet, telecommunications and cable marketplace. Prior to forming IMAKE, Mark was employed by IBM Corporation where he received patents in the Data Server, Control Server and Gateway Architecture System and Method to Broadcasting Digital Video on Demand. Thus, totaling 19 years of experience within the information technologies, telecommunications networks, digital video and audio data and interactive video initiatives industries. Mark holds a Master's Degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Virginia.Ian Weightman (IMS Research’s Vice President and Research Director for the Digital Consumer & Broadband, Wireless Communications, and Semiconductor groups) is one of IMS Research’s most experienced executives. Educated to degree level in electrical and electronic engineering at Aston University, England, he started his career at Texas Instruments. At TI, Mr. Weightman worked in various technical marketing roles, achieving the position of European strategic marketing manager for ASIC products. He joined IMS Research in 1994, and has since worked on numerous market research studies. He headed-up the company’s consultancy division before becoming VP of the worldwide Communications Group. Mr. Weightman has over 7 years of experience in digital TV and broadband market analysis. He has been involved in the production of numerous reports, including "The Worldwide Market for Digital Set-top Boxes and iDTVs," "The Worldwide Market for Semiconductors and Software in Set-top Boxes," and "The Worldwide Market for Home Networks and Residential Gateways." Mr. Weightman was a chairperson of Mediacast 2003 and 2004, moderated several panel sessions at Mediacast 2003 and 2004 and Digital Hollywood 2003, and was part of the judging panel for The Cable & Satellite International Product of the Year Awards 2004.