February 14, 2019 — Amherst, WI – Amherst Communications General Manager Rick Letto says his communications company in east central Wisconsin is upgrading their linear video middleware to Innovative Systems because it provides an easier to navigate customer experience than OTT. Letto says that until OTT can mimic what his customers are used to, traditional linear video is still what the majority of Amherst subscribers are most comfortable with. He says,
“They just want to push a button on their remote and watch TV.”
Letto added that he likes where Innovative is going with the Innostream™ MG-TV platform and looks forward to having the option of giving customers video delivery choices that best suit their lifestyles.
Reasons for Changing Middleware Vendors
Letto cited two things that stood out in their evaluation process of Innovative versus the other middleware vendors – reliable support and back office attributes. The Virtual Remote™ and integrated reports like channel stats, coupled with a responsive Midwest support team, are solid proof that Innovative Systems is totally committed to their products.
On the customer experience side, Letto says Restart TV is a real game changer because it is so easy for a customer to use. Amherst is also moving to a Network DVR only model, and by deactivating the record function on premise-based DVRs, customers can still hang on to their old recordings. The added security of storing the recordings in the local cloud at Amherst assures that a customer will not lose their recordings due to a local drive failure.
Amherst All-In on VOD
As they are competing in some of their markets with a large cable provider, Letto says Video On Demand is an essential feature. This also goes back to the situation where Amherst customers are more comfortable with having one remote and a single platform experience.
