Acorn Computer Group Plc’s Cambridge-based Online Media Ltd, the driving force behind the Cambridge Interactive Television trial, has set up a ‘service nursery’ in which potential content providers can investigate the business potential for their services. The company said there had been a chicken and egg situation with this type of trial. Would-be suppliers could not develop a service without the technology in place, but the trial could not be effective unless there were some content to test. Now that the trial is entering its second phase, and the technology, an Asynchronous Transfer Mode network and set-top boxes, is in place, Online Media said the ‘nursery’ would be a forum for companies to develop interactive services. It would also enable participants to share information and resources and develop common standards for this new medium. All companies joining the service nursery pay a fee, which will go towards funding the trial; until now, a consortium consisting of Online Media, Anglia Television Plc, Cambridge Cable Ltd, which supplies the network, and Advanced Telecommunications Modules Ltd, the Asynchronous Mode network supplier, has paid for the trial, which began in in October 1994 (CI No 2,526). So far there are five companies participating: National Westminster Bank Plc, high street supermarket chain Tesco Plc, advertising agency BMP DDB Needham, Anglia Television and recent recruit, market research company NOP Research Group Ltd, a part of MAI Plc. The plan is to recruit another 15 or so organisations, with diverse offerings such as insurance, banking, home shopping and video or audio on demand. NOP Research will help recruit the 250 households for the second phase of the trial that started in April (CI No 2,632). It will develop interactive research techniques, asking questions through the set-top box, and downloading the answers into a central computer on its own premises, for analysis. Managing director Ivor Stocker said he also expected his company to monitor and report users opinion of the trial.
