The Comcast Media Center’s Hits platform and Motorola have upgraded their National Authorization Service (NAS) to support interactive applications using the EBIF platform.

The NAS platform supports an EBIF-compliant version of the video-rich navigation (VRN) service that was developed by the CMC and GuideWorks and is available through Hits AxIS. Other NAS enhancements include the ability to support Motorola’s Apex edge QAM.

Launched last year, the CMC’s AxIS is a centralized platform that was designed to support advanced interactive applications developers, while also facilitating the launch of these interactive services on cable systems that serve small- to mid-size markets. The platform supports interactive applications initially through EBIF, with tru2way applications to follow once there’s a larger base of deployed tru2way-enabled set-top boxes and TVs.

The announced cable operators who have signed on to beta test the ETV applications are Buckeye CableSystem, Sunflower Broadband, BendBroadband and MetroCast. Applications that have been tested so far include a dashboard, “movie tickets” and “Yellow Pages on TV” services.

“The greatest advantage of the innovations that we’re continuing to make to the NAS platform is that they allow system operators to generate additional revenues by deploying advanced services without having to replace widely deployed set-tops or engage in costly overhauls of their existing headend architecture,” said CMC senior vice president and COO Gary Traver. “The Hits family of services, which are supported by NAS, integrate to optimize existing cable headend architecture, for the launch and support of advanced video and broadband services, which represents a much more economical method for increasing revenues while minimizing capital and operating expenses.”