Viodi View has a really good interview with David Foote, the CTO of Hitachi Communications Technologies America. We appreciate them being there, and the interview struck me as one key component in the "smart TV" space that doesn't get talked about enough. Operators will want to have a very flexible platform to which applications developers can create features and easily port them onto existing CPE and other consumer electronics in the home is essential, particularly as they look at the rise of IP-connected devices in the home and think about how to move their services and applications onto them while maintaining management, monitoring, and other customer support features.

As we’ve been covering the connected CE space, there is a lot of excitement about all of the new devices that are coming with applications platforms, but nobody’s really talked about how to take advantage of legacy devices. Even in the service provider space, it seems like we hear more about the creating of the “uber-box” as opposed to leveraging infrastructure and equipment already in place.