Microsoft Creates TV Standards Post Based in Washington, D.C.

REDMOND, Wash., July 17, 2001 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Skip Pizzi will head up a new position within its Microsoft® TV Group as TV standards and regulatory affairs manager. Pizzi will be based in Washington, D.C., where he will extend the presence of the Microsoft TV standards team and its regulatory affairs efforts in the nations capital, bringing Microsoft TV closer to the issues facing the broadcast regulatory industry.

In his new post, Pizzi will greatly enhance his ongoing work with staff members at the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), the Consumer Electronics Association, the Federal Communications Commission and the National Association of Broadcasters, as well as other Washington, D.C.-based organizations, on the development of specifications and regulations for digital television in the United States. The relocation is part of an ongoing effort by Microsoft to strengthen its relationships with TV broadcast regulators, share expertise on interactive TV and ensure that Microsoft TV products work well with U.S. digital TV standards.

“Skip is committed to working closely within the broadcast regulatory environment and representing Microsoft TV in various standards organizations. He will be a critical local resource for the company and a valuable asset to the community,”
said Patrick Griffis, director of worldwide TV standards and strategy for the Microsoft TV Group at Microsoft.

Currently, Pizzi is the technical manager of Microsoft TVs worldwide standards and strategy. Pizzi spent nearly 20 years in Washington, D.C., earlier in his career, including his studies at Georgetown University and 13 years in various technical and management positions at National Public Radio headquarters. He joined Microsoft in 1997 and has served as technical manager for the Microsoft TV standards team since 1999. He currently represents Microsoft in various digital TV standards bodies, including the ATSC, the TV-Anytime Forum and the Advanced Authoring Format Association. Pizzi is a frequent speaker on digital television issues and has made presentations at conferences of the NAB, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and other venues.

About the Microsoft TV Platform

The Microsoft TV platform is a standards-based, client and server software family that enables network operators and their partners to deliver the most compelling interactive TV services to consumers. The platform supports a range of TV devices, from current and next-generation set-top boxes and digital video recorders to integrated television sets, entertainment appliances and other computing devices. Through the platform, network operators and hardware providers can team up to offer consumers an unparalleled range of services, from e-mail and Internet on television to interactive programming, electronic program guides and digital video recording.

Microsoft TV also creates significant new economic opportunities for network operators and industry leaders worldwide that have chosen to work with the platform to deliver or supply the services, programming, hardware and software for interactive TV. Microsoft TV supports open standards and is backed by the technical expertise, support and broad third-party developer community for which Microsoft is known. It is an integral part of the Microsoft .NET vision of empowering people through great software any time, any place and on any device. More information about the Microsoft TV platform can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/tv/ .

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.

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