REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 1, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. and Sony Music Entertainment Inc. today announced that beginning this month, selected Sony Music CD and CD Extra titles will include the Microsoft® Internet Explorer Web browser software. The Sony Music CDs will contain a customized version of Internet Explorer that offers connections to the Sony Music artists’ home pages on the Web. Sony Music expects to distribute more than 10 million music CDs that contain Internet Explorer within the first year.
“This is an excellent opportunity to introduce millions of music lovers to the Internet,” said Brad Chase, vice president of the applications and Internet client group at Microsoft. “By offering Internet Explorer to its customers, Sony Music combines the best of the Internet with great music to deliver an even more compelling interactive experience.”
Sony Music is also an Internet Explorer 4.0 Active Channel
™
content provider. Featured in the Internet Explorer 4.0 Active Channel Guide, the Sony Music Active Channel content delivers the latest music news, concert dates, information on live Web broadcasts and more. It also provides a direct gateway to the hottest content on Sony Music Online (http://www.music.sony.com/) .
“At Sony Music, we’re excited to be creating a more direct link between our artists and their fans,” said Fred Ehrlich, senior vice president, general manager, new technologies and business development for Sony Music Entertainment. “Microsoft Internet Explorer offers our artists a new medium through which to express themselves and gives consumers a more immediate source of information on their favorite performers.”
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Active Channel content reinforces the Internet Explorer 4.0 goal of delivering “the Web the way you want it”: premier content optimized for easy, fast and personalized delivery. Microsoft Active Channel content providers such as Sony Music are leading Internet content providers that design their channels to exploit the new functionality in Internet Explorer 4.0, such as Dynamic HTML and channel definition format (CDF)-based webcasting. Active Channel technology also enables users to easily define and schedule automatic downloading of their favorite content.
Pricing and Availability
Microsoft Internet Explorer will be offered at no extra charge on selected upcoming Sony Music releases. For consumers new to the Internet, the Sony Music CDs will also include a special offer to sign up with an Internet service provider.
Sony Music Entertainment Inc. (http://www.music.sony.com/) is a leading global producer, manufacturer and marketer of recorded music and video, employing more than 12,000 people with a presence in 60 countries and a recorded catalog containing the world’s greatest artists and entertainers.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft and Active Channel are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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