Verizon has indicated that it is preparing to invite open development of new applications for its Widget Bazaar, available on its pay-TV service 'FiOS TV'.
Shaygan Kheradpir, CIO at Verizon, said that the introduction of Widget Bazaar is "just the beginning", adding: "Soon we'll be launching a software development kit, complete with the required application programming interface (API) and a platform emulator, and we will invite open development of new applications for the Widget Bazaar. Developers should start thinking now about applications that are appropriate for the 'big screen,' not the pocket-sized screens they've been writing for so far. We'll be looking for tools that engage TV viewers and enrich or enhance the 'living-room' experience in new ways."
Once applications are written and tested on the platform emulator that is included in the developers' portfolio, they will be reviewed for appropriateness and value before being posted to the Widget Bazaar. The revelations were made as part of an announcement that Verizon is enhancing its recently-launched Facebook and Twitter widgets with additional features that give subscribers more ways to connect with others while watching TV. The enhancements include using the onscreen keyboard to send Tweets, and the ability for subscribers to update their Facebook status with personalised messages.
Verizon reports that in the three weeks since it introduced the new Twitter and Facebook widgets, millions of Tweets and Facebook gallery photos have been viewed by FiOS TV subscribers on their TV screens.
Verizon added 300,000 subscribers to its pay-TV service 'FiOS TV' in the second quarter of this year to reach 2.5mn customers, with the company reporting that consumer demand for its wireless, broadband and video products in the period showed "resilience" despite the ongoing recession in the US.
FiOS TV currently offers over 500 linear channels, including more than 115 high-definition channels, and more than 15,000 VOD titles, as well as interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide, news and entertainment Widgets, remote DVR management, multi-room DVR and casual games. Linear content on the service is delivered via RF over its fibre-to-the-premises (FTTH) network, while interactive and on-demand services are delivered over the same network via IP.