Movie fans don’t have to wait until Feb. 26 to get in on all the excitement of this year’s Academy Awards. The Oscars App, developed in partnership with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and Disney (News - Alert)-ABC Television Group, will provide fans with a full behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood’s biggest night for films.

The televised ceremony recognizes film industry professionals that did an outstanding performance including directors, actors, and writers deemed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Last year, the academy decided to create an app that would help viewers interact and feel more included in the awards night by allowing them to see backstage videos, pictures and video straight from the red carpet.

This year, the app has been upgraded and will now allow viewers to experience the ceremony in two ways. The first way is in a “watch” mode that gives users access to a multi-camera view of the Oscar ceremony. In this mode, users can see the content that all of the cameras are shooting in real-time. The second option is called “direct” mode that enables viewers to choose which specific camera angle they want to watch. It lets users basically direct their own Oscar Ceremony live at home, again in real-time.

“It’s like an Oscar’s companion that can be with you from the minute the nominations are announced all the way through the event,” said Karin Gilford, senior vice president of Digital Media for ABC.com. “Every day the fans will be able to go on there and they’ll be presented with new videos, and it will be really easy to see at a glance if something has been added.”

Available on the iPhone (News - Alert), iPod Touch and the iPad, the free app will allow fans to see vintage videos from past Oscar ceremonies, interact with original content, see interviews with some of this year’s nominated stars and watch some of the most historic moments in Oscar history.

Additionally, fans will soon be able to play a game called “My Picks.” This game allows users to cast their ballots before the Oscars and select which nominees they feel should or will be winning the award.

“Our team really listened to what fans had to say last year, and made a huge effort to build on the things that worked and make them even better,” Gilford added. “Our goal is to utilize the best digital technologies to make sure those fans are having a really full, immersive experience…we want this to be the next best thing to attending the show itself,” said Gilford. 

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO East 2012, happening right now from Jan. 31-Feb. 3 2012, in Miami, FL. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO registration click here.

Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO. Follow us on Twitter.