MUMBAI: US-based IP Television (IPTV) delivery solutions provider Minerva Networks and the California-based open-platform provider SureWest Communications have announced enhancements to SureWest's IPTV deployment with Minerva iTVManager 2.0 second-generation service management software.

The software delivers new features, and offers performance and scalability improvements to support SureWest's rapidly growing customer base.

SureWest subscribers will enjoy improved on-screen navigation and enhanced parental controls. Intelligent use of multicast technology to refresh and cache EPG and VOD preview data reduce overall network traffic and improve system response. Minerva iTVManager features a native set-top box application that responds fast when changing channels or scrolling through VOD listings, states an official release.

"We operate in a very competitive market and Minerva's platform is critical to our success", says SureWest CTO Bill DeMuth. "Switching our live subscribers over to the new system was a major project but, because of the close working relationship we have with Minerva, everything went very smoothly. We're quite pleased with the results."

"SureWest is an innovator and one of the first telecommunications firms in North America to successfully deliver IPTV services to a large subscriber base," founder, CEO of Mauro Bonomi Minerva Networks said. "We have been working closely with SureWest to define and develop advanced features that will benefit our entire customer base."