AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Sept. 12, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. has launched a new program to ease the transition for Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service providers using other platforms to migrate to its solution. Called Microsoft Mediaroom Migration Program and unveiled at the IBC2008 conference, the program provides guidelines and solutions for service providers considering upgrading their IPTV platform. The Microsoft Mediaroom Migration Program delivers a structured assessment process and analytical tools for migration, including business and technical workshops to review set-top-box portability, network compatibility and audio-visual head-end interoperability. The program also includes risk-benefit tools to compare lifetime customer value and build the business case for executive management.
Ben Huang, director of product management for Microsoft Mediaroom, said, “As the IPTV market matures, we’re seeing interest from operators on first-generation platforms and homegrown solutions to migrate to Microsoft Mediaroom. These service providers need to add high-definition and advanced digital video recording (DVR) and video-on-demand features that are now fundamental to any competitive TV offering, and they want to remain competitive by being able to easily deploy advanced interactive applications. We are currently engaged in assessing migration opportunities with a number of customers and have been approached by many more. Platform migrations are complex, so this program has been developed to assist with business and technical planning, and reduce the cost and pain of migration.”
Ben Keen, chief analyst at Screen Digest, said, “There are now over 250 IPTV operators worldwide, and we expect global IPTV subscriber growth to be nearly 70 percent this year; by comparison, cable and satellite pay-TV subscriber growth will be single-digit. To maintain this growth, operators must retain a competitive edge by utilizing a technology platform that allows them to continue offering innovative new services. Screen Digest estimates that one in seven active IPTV set-top boxes worldwide will be running Microsoft Mediaroom by the end of 2008.”
The three key phases of the Microsoft Mediaroom Migration Program aim to take a service provider from initial consideration to full migration of the platform, as follows:
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Phase 1 — Planning scenarios around engineering and business metrics, assessment of lifetime value of the customer, marketing research kit, usability testing.
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Phase 2 — Trial program creation, including infrastructure and set-top box migration and migration communications planning.
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Phase 3 — Delivery of training and workshops, operational readiness planning for commercial deployment, platform migration and eventual legacy decommissioning. This involves review of the architecture including servers, set-top boxes, encoder feeds and video-on-demand assets.
Microsoft Mediaroom has a global customer base of leading telecommunications services providers, including AT&T Inc., BT, Deutsche Telekom, Swisscom and Reliance Communications Ltd. in India, with more than 1.5 million subscribers connected.
About Microsoft Mediaroom
The award-winning Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and multimedia software platform is driving the future of television by enabling broadband service providers to deliver new connected TV and entertainment experiences to consumers worldwide. Microsoft Mediaroom provides new ways for consumers to experience TV as part of their connected, digital lifestyle, while also creating new business opportunities for broadband service providers, hardware manufacturers, content creators, advertisers and application developers. Over 20 of the world’s leading service providers across four continents have selected the Microsoft Mediaroom platform to drive their digital TV services. More information on Microsoft Mediaroom and the opportunity to deliver the best in TV plus all your media in one place is available at http://www.microsoft.com/tv and http://www.microsoftmediaroom.com.
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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