Three television set-top terminal makers have agreed to integrate Diba Inc.'s Information Appliance software into their products, creating "fully functional" Internet TV terminals.

Buyers include ViewNet Japan Inc., which is developing World Wide Web-based financial transaction devices in cooperation with banks and credit card companies.

OpenTel Communications Inc., a telecommunications equipment and services supplier in China and the Asia Pacific region, and Prism Communications Inc., a Chicago-based systems vendor, are the other buyers.

Diba, which is developing other networked appliances with Panasonic/Matsushita Electric Corp., Samsung Electronics Corp. and investor-partner Zenith Electronics Corp., emphasized that its Diba Information Appliance Suite Version 2.0 is compatible with multiple microprocessors and microkernal runtime engines, as well as with any Internet service provider, or ISP, service.

"Because we will be working with many different Internet service providers across the world, the Diba Internet set top's ability to seamlessly connect to all ISPs was a key deciding factor for us," said David Yuan, president of OpenTel.

Diba's suite of customizable browser, e-mail, telephony and configuration applications is incorporated in the company's Diba's Internet Set Top Starter Unit, which also comes with a built-in 33.6-kilobit-per-second modem, infrared keyboard and remote control, power supply and cables. The company says its software suite, which was release earlier this year, includes improved anti- aliasing and anti-flicker technology for TV display.

"The fact that we can easily customize so many aspects of the set top design, ranging from the graphical look of the browser interface to the plastic design of the device itself, is a big win for us," said ViewNet Japan president Nobuo Goi. "This flexibility means we can easily and quickly order unique devices for specific target markets."

Source: Inter@ctive Week