SAN FRANCISCO, July 24, 2001 — Microsoft Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Belluzzo today outlined the company’s vision for providing consumers with compelling online experiences and working with the cable, hardware and software industries to stimulate new business opportunities.
At the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) show, Belluzzo detailed areas in which Microsoft will help deliver on the promise of broadband by optimizing key products, including the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system, the Xbox™ video game system, the MSN® network of Internet services and the Microsoft TV platform for broadband services. Belluzzo also outlined Microsoft’s commitment to teaming with industry leaders to speed up the rollout of a global broadband infrastructure and delivering software-based services for consumers that build on that infrastructure.
“Microsoft is committed to helping make the broadband experience more useful, fun and engaging for consumers while making broadband services more profitable for the cable industry,”
Belluzzo said.
“The challenge is for the leaders from the key technology and media industries to develop the kinds of services that will really make a difference in people’s lives and stimulate new business opportunities.”
Microsoft has been a strong proponent of broadband technology for more than a decade and in recent years has been actively involved in supporting the rollout of broadband capabilities worldwide. The company has invested in a broad range of alliances with cable leaders such as AT & T Corp., Globo Cabo SA, Comcast Corp., Rogers Cable systems Ltd., United Pan-Europe Communications and NTL to help speed up the rollout of broadband services.
“The opportunities that broadband cable technologies present to enhance the consumer experience of PCs and other technology and entertainment devices are endless,”
Belluzzo said.
“We’ve delivered software platforms with Windows, Microsoft TV and Microsoft .NET that enable innovative new services and opportunities for consumers and compelling business opportunities for the cable industry.”
Microsoft is adding broadband support across its product line and today at CTAM demonstrated a number of exciting new technologies that the cable industry can take advantage of, including the following:
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Windows XP. Microsoft demonstrated the tremendous work being done around home networking capabilities for the PC and the exciting digital photo, music and video features that enable compelling user experiences.
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Xbox. The future of gaming was highlighted with a demonstration of the performance capabilities offered by Xbox and how this new video games system creates great new content for broadband services.
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Microsoft TV platform. As part of Microsoft’s ongoing TV efforts, the Microsoft TV platform is providing cable operators with the opportunity to roll out interactive TV services exploiting broadband more rapidly. Today, services based on the Microsoft TV platform are deployed in the United States, Brazil, Portugal, France and the Netherlands, with more to come soon.
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MSN TV Service. Microsoft recently announced the release of MSN TV to consumers, underscoring Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to bring together its Web services under the MSN brand. This transition will accelerate the integration of outstanding MSN content and services — such as the MSN Hotmail® service, the world’s largest Web-based e-mail service — to users of the WebTV® Classic, WebTV Plus, UltimateTV® service and Dishplayer devices, offering consumers more ways to access the Internet and make MSN their home on the Web.
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Digital media technologies. Windows Media™
Technologies offer a strong foundation for new services involving the delivery of music or video content. By delivering the highest possible audio and video quality, and including optional integrated digital rights management technology, Windows Media enables the creation of services that deliver a great consumer experience while providing a fair exchange of value for content owners.
Microsoft is also creating a set of software-based services to offer consumers a much richer experience.
“We are creating a set of experiences that are enhanced by broadband and take the best of traditional applications, Web-based services and platform technology, and bringing them together to enable great consumer experiences with photos, music and much more,”
Belluzzo said.
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.
Microsoft, Windows, Xbox, MSN, Hotmail, WebTV, UltimateTV and Windows Media are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
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