(25 October 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: In a recent survey of residential subscribers of Comporium, a South Carolina-based quintuple play provider, converged services organisation research company Integra5 found that TV Caller ID plays a significant role in subscriber retention and positively influences subscribers' overall perception of their service provider.

The survey, which generated more than 3,500 responses and is one of the first to poll subscribers who are already using a converged service on a daily basis, detailed interest in current and future converged services - real-time applications that 'blend the bundle' by combining voice, video, data and wireless features.

To provide a more granular analysis of the impact of converged services, responses from Comporium's long-term TV Caller ID subscribers 70 per cent of whom have used the service for more than one year - were compared
with feedback from subscribers who do not receive the service. Key survey highlights of subscriber loyalty and affinity for TV Caller ID include:

-- 25 per cent state TV Caller ID is a "main reason" they stay with Comporium for their digital television, high speed data and phone services.

-- 78 per cent said that they like TV Caller ID as much as other types of popular services, specifically HDTV, while 71% reported the same for DVR

Yankee Group's Consumer Research group Boyd Peterson says, "The economic impact of winning and retaining customers is dramatically altered in a multi-service, triple and quad play bundle market.

"The intense competition between service providers to have the best bundled offering will increasingly hinge on innovative services that offer consumers value through greater convenience and freedom rather than simply consolidating multiple services on a single bill."