Chicago--There has never been a better time for telecom service providers to jump into the video game, using IP-based service to deliver not just on-demand technology but also choice, Globecast Chairman and CEO Christian Pinon told a Globalcomm audience Tuesday.

Rather than duplicate what video service providers do today, he said, telecom service providers need to capitalize on IPTV’s strengths and give their customers more freedom to choose how and where they view video content, he said. Every potential platform has its advantages and disadvantages, Pinon said.

“On the mobile phone, video is best viewed in short bursts,” he said. “The television has limited interactivity. The PC is a platform for interactivity, but I can’t see the family gathering around the PC just yet. You need to not only offering linear TV but also on-demand. IP can mean increased choice of delivery method and content.”

Pinon’s French company is the video transport arm of France Telecom--or “the Fed-Ex of video content,” he said.