TVAnswer

TV Answer is the wireless communications company founded in 1986 that invented IVDS (Interactive Video and Data Services), a nationwide wireless multimedia platform including television, data, and digital voice services.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] TVAnswer is currently known as EON Corporation.^[5]

History

In the late 1980s, TV Answer applied for and was later allocated special spectrum (218-219 MHz) by the Federal Communications Commission for its proposed service;^[6] however, the FCC denied the company’s request for a nationwide license and instead offered hundreds of regional and metropolitan licenses by lottery and auction.^[2] TV Answer's management team and board of directors, which included Hewlett Packard director George A. Keyworth and former FCC director Mark Fowler,^[2] directed the company’s engineers to file a series of domestic and international patents for its interactive video technologies and related network architecture.^[4] Recognizing that its advancements were applicable beyond interactive television, the company changed its name in 1993 to EON Corporation to mark the broader focus of its business initiatives.^[5] As EON Corporation, the company worked to establish a nationwide infrastructure for two-way data and messaging services. The applications ranged from advanced meter reading (the smart grid) to inventory monitoring and control of remote assets such as vending machines. TV Answer was featured prominently on national television and in the national media.^[2]

Currently

Since 2008, the company has been actively licensing its wireless technologies to the communications and smart grid industries. The company continues to invest in developing wireless technology and sourcing applications across multiple industries.^[7]^[8]

References

^ PR Newswire (April 1, 1992). "TV ANSWER, SEQUOIA SYSTEMS SIGN $8.5 MILLION CONTRACT TO CREATE TV ANSWER'S NATIONAL SWITCHING CENTER"
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Lewyn, Mark (June 29, 1992). "This Isn't the Response TV Answer Expected". Businessweek
^ Andrews, Edmund L. (August 17, 1994). Airwave Entrepreneurs Still Feeling Their Way. New York Times
^ ^a ^b Dollinger, Marc J. "TV Answer: An Interactive Video Data Service" Archived 2012-01-22 at the Wayback Machine Entrepreneurship: Strategies and Resources, Prentice Hall.
^ ^a ^b (July 18, 1993). "TV Answer Changes Corporate Name to EON as it Prepares to Launch Service & Broaden Company Mission"^{[dead link]} "PRNewswire"
^ Miller, Cyndee (March 18, 1991). "FCC proposed frequency for interactive TV. (Federal Communications Commission)" "Marketing News"
^ "About Us" Eon Corporation Official Website. Retrieved 2011-09-26
^ Speir, Marc (April 14, 2011). "Austin’s Eon settles wireless patent lawsuits with Sensus" RCRWireless. Archived 2011-10-25 at the Wayback Machine

[1] PR Newswire (April 1, 1992). "TV ANSWER, SEQUOIA SYSTEMS SIGN $8.5 MILLION CONTRACT TO CREATE TV ANSWER'S NATIONAL SWITCHING CENTER"

[businessweek-2] Lewyn, Mark (June 29, 1992). "This Isn't the Response TV Answer Expected". Businessweek

[nytimes-3] Andrews, Edmund L. (August 17, 1994). Airwave Entrepreneurs Still Feeling Their Way. New York Times

[case4-4] Dollinger, Marc J. "TV Answer: An Interactive Video Data Service" Archived 2012-01-22 at the Wayback Machine Entrepreneurship: Strategies and Resources, Prentice Hall.

[eon-5] (July 18, 1993). "TV Answer Changes Corporate Name to EON as it Prepares to Launch Service & Broaden Company Mission"^{[dead link]} "PRNewswire"

[6] Miller, Cyndee (March 18, 1991). "FCC proposed frequency for interactive TV. (Federal Communications Commission)" "Marketing News"

[7] "About Us" Eon Corporation Official Website. Retrieved 2011-09-26

[8] Speir, Marc (April 14, 2011). "Austin’s Eon settles wireless patent lawsuits with Sensus" RCRWireless. Archived 2011-10-25 at the Wayback Machine

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