AT&T (NYSE: T) U-verse has an application designed specifically for those people--and apparently there are many of them--who can't go five minutes without accessing Facebook on some connected device. In this instance, AT&T is putting it on the ubiquitous TV screen with an app that lets viewers hook into Facebook at the same time they're watching TV.
AT&T said that the U-verse TV application will let its subscribers view news feeds, friends lists and photos; post updates and share information about shows being watched; and interact with friends and view their timelines, photos and status updates--all while watching television.
"The TV experience is becoming more social and we've always focused on delivering interactive TV apps that are more engaging and provide an overall better experience," Maria Dillard, vice president of U-verse and video products, said in a news release. "This app gives U-verse TV and high-speed internet customers the ability to share information about what they're watching on their TV with their remote on any U-verse TV screen."
Showing the power of IP to segment a household, the Facebook on TV app can be accessed by up to 10 different user accounts on a single receiver, AT&T said. All that's needed is an existing Facebook account and, of course, U-verse high-speed Internet.
The Facebook app on television is something of a reverse of what most service providers--including AT&T--have been announcing lately. In those instances, the television-specific programming content is being loaded onto connected devices that are not TVs. In July, AT&T added several new features to apps it has developed for the Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad and iPhone.
For more:
- see this news release
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