Swisscom has invested a seven-figure sum in decentral.tv, the company responsible for developing and operating kyte.tv. Thanks to the new Internet service, users can launch their own TV channel and broadcast live online or via mobiles. Swisscom has been testing kyte.tv since February 2007 and has received positive responses from its customers.

There is a very high demand for user-generated content falling under the term Web 2.0. More and more people are publishing their own texts, photos and videos online or commenting on the online diaries of other users, resulting in the formation of distinct communities.

Direct and produce your own TV channel
kyte.tv is following this trend and giving its customers the chance to create their own TV channels, produce shows and broadcast them worldwide with ease. Users can thereby be the star, director and producer of their own TV channel. Viewers can interact in real-time and watch items released on their mobile or PC.

Swisscom's attention was drawn to kyte.tv at an early stage and it finds the idea of personal TV content very attractive. Given the product's great potential, Swisscom has entered into a strategic and financial partnership with its opertor, decentral.tv, and has invested a seven-figure sum in the company.

It is hoped that kyte.tv will boost Swisscom's innovative strength
In February 2007, Swisscom Mobile launched a general product test in its online test lab, Swisscom Mobile Labs, which triggered positive responses from customers. Swisscom Mobile is the first mobile phone supplier anywhere in the world to offer kyte.tv on its mobiles. At the moment, customers can benefit from this service for free. Swisscom may launch the product throughout Switzerland depending on the usage trends it detects during the test phase and the way in which customers respond to the product.

Holtzbrinck Ventures is also investing in kyte.tv. Swisscom invests in selected, promising start-ups to help innovative products reach the market faster. Other examples of this are the web services cocomment.com and whisher.com.