AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Sept. 9, 2005 — Today at IBC2005, the International Broadcasters Convention, Microsoft Corp. and Siemens Business Services announced that they are working together to develop integrated solutions, including supporting a collaborative- environment architecture, for the media industry. Built on proven Microsoft® Office and conferencing products, the new platform will enable media companies to transform the way they communicate and collaborate.
With programming becoming increasingly complex, the new platform will help media companies work more effectively, both externally with partners such as production companies and post-production houses as well as internally among employees.
As part of its strategic collaboration strategy, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) will become the first company to benefit from the Siemens and Microsoft relationship. Using their combined expertise, Siemens and Microsoft plan to deliver an integrated communications system over the next 12 to 18 months that includes instant messaging, videoconferencing and integrated telephony. This will enable the BBC to offer industry partners and employees access to a security-enhanced extranet through mobile platforms, supporting its proactive and innovative approach to flexible working.
Vikas Agrawal, head of Strategy & Innovation for Siemens Business Services Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I), said, “Siemens is pleased to be involved in this industry-leading collaboration, which will transform the way that media companies communicate and share resources. Working with Microsoft, we will be able to design an integrated solution using industry-leading technologies and off-the-shelf products to support media companies. Again, the BBC is at the forefront of this new and highly innovative approach to working.”
Maria Martinez, corporate vice president for the Communications Sector at Microsoft, said, “Microsoft’s real-time collaboration solutions, combined with Siemens’ track record for delivery at the BBC, will help increase the efficiency and effectiveness of this solution. We are pleased that the BBC is one of the first companies set to benefit from this. The culmination of our work will enable new ways of collaboration both within the BBC and across its vibrant partner ecosystem.”
About Media & Entertainment at Siemens
Siemens is the transformation partner to the media and entertainment industry. Through our media expertise (including BBC Technology, acquired in 2004) and our £2 billion, 10-year partnership and landmark deal with the BBC, we are at the forefront of IT, communications and media innovation. By providing IT and business process outsourcing, business and technology advice, and production modernization and content exploitation services and solutions, we enable organizations to increase revenues, reduce costs and maximize customer reach. We do this by integrating core media operations across the value chain — from content creation, management and distribution, to storage and retrieval; this includes the transformation of creative and business processes, customer interaction, and the underlying technology infrastructure. Customers include: BBC News, BBC Natural History Unit, BSkyB, DIRECTV Inc., ESPN Inc., NPR, 3UK (formerly Hutchison 3G), MDR, RTL, WDR, VRT and South African Broadcasting Corporation. For further information: www.siemens.co.uk/sbsmedia.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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