FRANCE--A major breakthrough has just been made in the deployment of interactive TV services forthe general public. French digital TV operator TPS (TelevisionPar Satellite) is the world's first operator to offer itssubscribers a range of interactive banking and financialservices accessible at a touch of a button on the subscriber'sremote control with no need for specialist skills or dedicatedequipment. This was made possible when TPS loaded OpenTV EN--the latest version of Open TV's software--onto itssubscribers' digital receivers.
Broadcast on F1 la chaine financiere (channel 98), CreditAgricole TV allows subscribers to perform current-accounttransactions (transfers, checkbook orders). VEGA FINANCE(Caisse des Depots et Consignations) offers access to stockprices on the Paris Bourse and the 1000 French-managedSICAVs (investment funds), and will soon support direct salesand purchase orders for investments funds and shares. Thedaily financial newspaper Les Echos is also to shortly launchits own financial information service.
Copyright December 1998, Crain Communications Inc.
