Verizon at Home

[#1]

Our guest blogger is Maitreyi Krishnaswamy, a director in FiOS TV product management who began tweeting from @FiOSTV today.

Greetings. My name is Maitreyi (as in MY-tree) Krishnaswamy and I’m a director in product management principally involved in FiOS TV and thrilled to begin blogging here. You'll now also find we tweeting from the handle @FiOSTV, picking up for my friend and colleague Joe Ambeault.

For those of you who regularly follow this blog, you know that we have been knee deep in enhancing the FiOS TV experience for our customers since we launched the service in September of 2005.

If you have been with us from the start, you know that FiOS TV gets better all the time.  We now serve 4.4 million FiOS TV customers (that’s a 32 percent penetration in markets where our video service is offered) and we’re on a mission to make the service even more compelling.

It’s Verizon’s pledge to continually develop FiOS TV and deliver the borderless lifestyle that our customers live today and have come to expect from us. The idea, of course, is to provide you with the best video entertainment experience possible on your terms—anytime, anyplace, and on virtually any device of your choosing.

Given our 100 percent fiber-optic network, you already know there is a huge difference between FiOS and the other guys. Your picture on FiOS TV is clearer, the bandwidth is considerably faster, and the overall service reliability is incomparable.  And because FiOS is delivered on our all-fiber network, we can provide superior product features, including  the best in HD, 3D and Video on Demand, as well as features like Media Manager, which lets you watch home movies, view family photos, and listen to your personal music collection on any video screen—your TV, smartphones, tablets and laptops.

In addition to enhancing FiOS with Media Manager, Flex View and more content, we’re also looking to add more apps. In fact we recently partnered with Hellmann’s to introduce a new app that is a unique interactive advertising program providing viewers with more specific details about Hellman’s, including recipes and videos featuring chef Tim Love.  Customers have the option to tune to a dedicated channel for additional production information. So far, it’s been a huge hit and customers are loving it. See for yourself here.

Of course, don’t forget about all the other apps that FiOS TV offers, providing real time news, weather, traffic, stock quotes and sports, as well as interactive games, contests, fantasy sports and cool features such as Pandora and iHeart Radio.  These apps also enable FiOS TV customers to engage in social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and Yelp while watching TV. 

The way we all watch video content has changed dramatically in the past decade, and we’re going to be at the forefront, working with various partners, to drive the change with our customers’ experience in mind. There’s so much more that my  colleagues and I are working on and I’m anxious to share all of it with you as soon as we’re ready so be sure to stay tuned because you’ll be hearing a lot more from me in the coming months.

Many of the enhancements and new features come from suggestions made by our customers because co-creation is important to us.  I know you’ll continue to be impressed with the developments coming soon and those receiving fine tuning on the drawing board. 

In the meantime, I invite you to continue to explore all the new FiOS TV features and to share your thoughts and suggestions in this space. I look forward to blogging with you.

[#2]

Hi Maitreyi,

I wanted to ask you something that many of us have bugged Joe about in the past.  When is FiOS finally going to deliver streaming TV to the iPad.  FiOS TV was the first to demo the concept (Aug 2010) and all of your major competitors now offer the service with over 100 channels in many cases.  All we've had so far is "I'm testing the release candidate" (Joe Jan 2012) and "I don't have dates to share" (Joe - every other comment).  This would be a huge benefit to FiOS TV subscribers.  

[#3]

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/Share-Your-Ideas-with-Verizon/Grandfather-existing-customers-regarding-...

Verizon's opinion? I have been here sice 2005, and part of the community since 2008 when it started. And a CL since the CL Program was born. I think perhaps that status may be short lived based of my opinion! Only wonderful changes are for new customers, while existing long term customers continue to foot the bill! The long term customer discounts are few and far between, and the only way to get a good one is to wait until your commitment terms expire and threaten to terminate your service, or part of it. I wanted to cut my voice and go to double play, and I was given a $20 long term customer discount. It expired. I would really like to cut my voice but get strung along by one commitment after another. And the last time around It was much less because I did not wait for my commitment to expire before making changes.

So my opinion, and my blog!

[#4]

cburi -- Maitreyi and I read your comment, and appreciate your input.  Streaming TV to the iPad is important, and is being tested. As to a specific date, however, we have no timing to share yet. -- Bill

[#5]

prisaz -- Thank you for your feedback.  It’s honest, sincere and presented in the best interest of all customers.  We value your role as a community leader in this Forum, and encourage you to remain one of the Forum’s most active contributors.

As to the offers perspective, I reached out to our consumer product management team so they could see your input.

One of the key projects launched during the fourth quarter of last year was to create a contract incentive for existing customers so they could get the same incentives as new customers.

Today, existing customers can get a contract or renew an existing one and receive a $250 reward card, as high as what new customers get. -- Bill

[#6]

Bill

It did not look that way when I called last month. But I will not get into that. I will let it simmer. I know there are loyal customer discounts that may make it close to the same. But not. Perhaps you must wait until your existing terms expire to get that.I am waiting to see my next bill because I do not believe it is what I was told.

I too have seem many requests for the Ipad as shown at CES or discussed previously.

Thanks for the response

Mark