10th March 2011

Telus Offers Facebook On Optik

I have mixed feelings about this – I guess in households that don’t have laptops or have to share a PC this might be great, but I seriously don’t need to watch what’s going on on Facebook this closely, and should it become available on Shaw, I highly doubt that I’d use it.

TelusTELUS is giving Western Canadians something new to “Like” about Optik TV. TELUS has introduced a new Facebook application on its Optik TV platform designed to provide customers convenient access to Facebook features and content without missing a second of their favorite TV shows. This innovative application is a Canadian first, and brings a whole new dimension to both TV watching and social media. Through “Share my View”, users are able to post what they’re watching on their Wall, creating a social TV viewing experience that brings their whole friends list into the picture.

“IPTV is the future of television, and with Optik TV the future is here at TELUS. We are committed to enabling a truly connected home, offering new ways for our Optik TV customers to stay connected and multitask while enjoying television, and to that end we plan to launch a number of applications this year,” said David Fuller, Chief Marketing Officer, TELUS. “TV applications are a great example of the power of Internet-enabled TV. This Facebook app brings social networking to the living room – it’s all about making TV viewing a social activity again, in an exciting new way.”

To promote the launch of this bold new TV app, TELUS has teamed up with Leonard Nimoy in an innovative marketing campaign that announces Facebook on Optik TV as “The Next Frontier of Social Networking.”

The application wraps part of the perimeter of the television screen, allowing users to enjoy their favorite Facebook features while simultaneously continuing to watch TV programming. Included in the Optik TV subscription, the Facebook application on Optik TV uses the standard remote control to allow customers to view status updates, activities and Wall posts, find a friend, and write messages on friends’ Walls. The application also offers the ability to view Facebook photo albums in slideshow mode to create a high-impact full screen presentation view of photos right on the TV.

TELUS Optik TV customers need only their current Facebook account and subscription to Optik Internet to take advantage of the Facebook application for TV. To access the Facebook app on Optik TV, customers navigate from the Optik main menu to Applications and set up the application using a Personal Identification Number (PIN).

The Facebook application was developed in partnership between TELUS and ES3, a Canadian developer of iTV (interactive television) applications for the award-winning Microsoft Mediaroom platform upon which Optik TV is based. “Applications for IPTV, such as the Facebook app, are key drivers in the evolution of TV and how consumers interact with the largest screen in the home,” said Doug Edwards, CEO, ES3. “I truly believe the Facebook application for Optik TV presents a clear view to the horizon of purely integrated social activities that can be tied with our TV viewing experiences.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 10th, 2011 at 11:13 am and is filed under Business News, Digital Products, National News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • Archives

  • Subscribe to our Newsletter


  • Select a list:

  • GWEN Radio
  • Gamers Giving Back