Asia Pacific Watch

Get ready for entertainment-on-demand

SINGAPORE -- Hewlett-Packard (HP) has entered in an alliance with content provider Intertainer Asia to provide entertainment-on-demand services in the Asia Pacific region.

Currently, the service is only offered on the PC platform. However, the two firms expect to roll out technologies for the TV platform over the next six months. According to the agreement, Intertainer would license rights from Hollywood and regional distributors to offer best-of-the-breed viewer content to viewers on demand. The business revenue model comprises of subscription, e-commerce related to new movies -- such as videos, T-shirts, music, etc. -- and advertising. HP will provide the content management and streaming technologies for the service.

Intertainer has announced the service in Hong Kong and Singapore and expects to go to China, Korea and Australia by the end of this year. The two firms will also work toward rolling out the service in India by the end of 2003. Intertainer is said to be in talks with telecom service providers and Bollywood distributors.