IP as protocol for services create challenges for service producer and distributors. The only advantage of IP platform is for end users. In the form of WWW first time in history end-users got free access to general information. Second step was voice communication, which is got now almost free inform of flat rates or skype kind of applications. Internet also changed the music industry and now it is going towards video's future. Companies with open agenda for video will have alot to win in future and the companies with walled garden video deployments will face challenges competing in the market.
Some Telco companies are already moving in open IP platform and other's are trying to understand their possible position in future of communication industry. One example was the presentation of Telekom Austria at Sofnet:
http://web20.telecomtv.com/pages/?id=20a7a68a-2059-4789-b41e-300f9df23236&vidid=2824&view=video
Some other activities are going on for IPTV standardization. Few links for more deeper information:
http://www.openiptvforum.org/index.html
IPTV open standard from ITU-T
http://www.atis.org/iif/
