Comcast announces Zimbra-powered 'SmartZone'

Comcast Corporation, the leading provider of cable, entertainment and communication products and services in the United States, announced on Monday that it will integrate its e-mail and voice messaging services in a new Web-based communications center called SmartZone.

The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based broadband, cable TV and cable telephony company, Comcast said SmartZone will be powered by open source software from Zimbra - a three year old start up which describes itself as the leader in open source, next-generation collaboration and messaging software.

In a move to intensify consumer loyalty with free add-on services, SmartZone will allow Comcast’s 12 million high-speed Internet subscribers to access their voice mail and e-mail from the same online platform, with instant messaging and an interactive address book.

“From one central dashboard, they will now be able to manage all of their communications needs as well as customize their experiences,” Greg Butz, senior vice president of product development for Comcast, said.

The facility to enable users to manage and synchronize address books will come from Plaxo, the Mountain View, California-based online address book service, and the service will be built and operated by the Palo Alto, California-based world's largest information technology corporation, Hewlett Packard (HP).

Comcast’s 3 million digital phone subscribers will also be able to use the service. SmartZone that Comcast hopes will strengthen its relationship with subscribers who may be lured by offers from satellite television operators, or from telephone companies that are also selling video and Internet services will be launched later this year.

"It's about making our products work better together wherever you want them available," said Catherine Avgiris, senior vice president of voice services at Comcast.

"Customers can use that functionality to simplify their lives, helping us maintain that relationship and loyalty with them," she added.

Comcast has plans in hands to eventually integrate SmartZone with its television service and its Pivot mobile phone service, which is in the early stages of being launched in association with Reston, VA-based Sprint Nextel Corp. in some regions.

The company will not be charging for the new service, continuing a strategy of offering subscribers extra services such as free video-on-demand to encourage loyalty. It currently allows subscribers to view up to 95 percent of its video-on-demand programming for free.

Comcast currently has 24.2 million cable customers, 12.1 million high-speed Internet customers and 3.0 million voice customers. As of March 31, 2007, Comcast served customers in 39 states and the District of Columbia.