SBC Picks Microsoft for IP-based TV
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Regional Bell SBC Communications today announced a 10-year, $400 million deal to use Microsoft&#39;s Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) software platform to power its foray into IP-based television services.
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(InfoWorld) - There could be some competition in the market for Internet-based television technology after all. The hope of MicrosoftÂ to establish its software as the de factoÂ standard for the emerging IPTVÂ (Internet Protocol television) market has dwindled after one of its major allies, the former Alcatel, decided to push its own technology -- again -- and as other industry giants, including Cisco Systems, enter the fray. Alcatel, which made the first U-turn in its IPTV strategy in May 2005 when the French manufacturer decided to align with Microsoft, is now in the process of making yet another. In November, AlcatelÂ filed lawsuits against MicrosoftÂ for several alleged patent infringements, including three related to IPTV. Since then, the French manufacturer hasÂ merged with Lucent Technologies, another player in the IPTV market. And now the newly merged Alcatel-LucentÂ is talking about its own technology again. Why? Maybe because the French-U.S. telecom giant believes it now has enough technology -- and clout -- to carve out its own chunk of what could be a huge market for IPTV systems and services. "Today, video accounts for only around 5 percent of the traffic on IP networks," John Giere, chief marketing officer at Alcatel-Lucent, said in an interview at last week's Telecom World conference and exhibition in Hong Kong. "But according to research conducted by our own Bell Labs, that figure could reach 40 percent by 2010." Alcatel-Lucent, which delivers not only core IP technology to manage video but also software to enable video services, such as IPTV, video mail and video conferencing, says it focuses on open standards, which it sees as a key differentiator to Microsoft. "Our technology is open with open interfaces," Giere said. "Many operators don't want to be overly dependent on Microsoft, which offers a proprietary system." Alcatel-Lucent is developing open APIs (application protocol interfaces), Giere said. "The idea is to have Java-based client software that you can enable across multiple devices." The company is working with several standards bodies to help establish standards for IPTV-related technology, according to Giere. It has also developed personalization features, allowing users, for instance, to upload their own videos to the network and create their own personal TV channel. Meanwhile, Microsoft continues to improve its IPTV software platform and sign up carriers for field trials and, increasingly, commercial services. And, at least for now, the company isn't calling Alcatel-Lucent a competitor. Last week, Singapore TelecommunicationsÂ (SingTel) became the 16th company to agree to use Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software through a deal orchestrated by Alcatel-Lucent. "When we came to the IPTV market, we decided to take a slightly different approach," said Ed Graczyk, director of marketing in the Microsoft TV unit. "Our platform was developed with direct input from carriers that had joined our early adopter program. Some of the features in our platform resulted from the unique requirements of these carriers." If the first wave of technology developed in the Microsoft IPTV platform aimed at creating "a better user experience for viewing TV," the second wave will focus on adding enhancements, such as rapid search functionality for both TV and VOD (video on demand) content and personalization, according to Graczyk. "User-generated content is a big issue," he said. A big development along the way has been the move by chip makers to embed simultaneous multi-stream, multi-codec video decoding functionality into a chip, a functionality that was previously handled by software, according to Graczyk. "This system-on-chip approach will help substantially reduce costs," he said. Not only that, system-on-chip technology could help Microsoft embed its IPTV software into all types of devices, including PCs and gaming devices, so that consumers wouldn't necessarily have to buy a set-top box, according to Graczyk. "Carriers choose us because they know that we will be able to connect all types of devices running on our operating systems," he said. And what if the carrier is a big fan of the open source Linux operating system? "I don't think you'll see our IPTV software running on Linux systems," he said. "But you'll see IPTV software running on other systems." A growing number of competitors hope to achieve just that. In addition to Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, IBM, and Siemens are a few of the big names seeking to carve out a slice of the budding market for IPTV services. Â
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SBC Communications Inc. will use a Microsoft Corp. software system to transmit television over high-speed Internet connections like the ones SBC will offer after replacing the local arteries of its copper telephone network with fiber-optic cables.
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SBC Communications said on Monday it would offer a television set-top box that can handle music, photos and Internet downloads, part of SBC's efforts to expand into home entertainment.
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The British Broadcasting Corporation   is teaming up with Microsoft Corp.  to help  develop the next generation of Internet services for the  world's biggest public broadcaster.
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In the 10year deal, SBC Communications will launch video services over high-speed data lines using Microsoft technology. WASHINGTON: SBC Communications will use Microsoft Corp.
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Microsoft's new internet streaming service attempts to replicate terrestrial stations, without all the annoying chatter -- and without permission. By Randy Dotinga.
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SBC Communications, the No. 2 U.S.  telecommunications company, has agreed to pay $400 million to  Microsoft Corp. for software that can deliver television via  high-speed data lines, The New York Times reported on  Wednesday.
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US pay TV firm Comcast is set to roll out set-top boxes featuring Microsoft software, in a crucial test for Microsoft's cable TV ambitions.
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In a first of its kind pilot, Comcast is set to deploy Microsoft's TV Foundation Edition 1.7 software in conjunction with its new dual-tuner digital video recording service. The partnership heightens Microsoft's involvement with cable operators, which is an element of Redmond's strategy for home entertainment.
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A new application from Raketu Communications Inc. aims to integrate IPTV (Internet Protocol television) with social networking, two of the Internet's hip technologies.
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By JOE McDONALD  BEIJING - Microsoft Corp. and a major Chinese TV set maker announced Monday they will jointly develop entertainment products linking television and the Internet, joining a race to profit from the Web's growing status as a channel to distribute movies and other programs.
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San Antonio-based SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE: SBC) has developed a new IP-based service Monday that will allow customers to combine their wireline and wireless voice mailboxes, e-mail accounts and faxes.
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BEIJING -- Microsoft Corp. and a major Chinese TV set maker announced Monday they will jointly develop entertainment products linking television and the Internet, joining a race to profit from the Web's growing status as a channel to distribute movies and other programs.
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SBC Communications Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. are expanding their partnership in high-speed Internet access to make news, entertainment and other services available not just on computers but also on cell phones, televisions and other devices.
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SBC Communications Inc. will use a Microsoft Corp. software system to transmit television over high-speed Internet connections like the ones SBC will offer after replacing the local arteries
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SBC Communications will pay $400 million to Microsoft for software used to deliver TV programming over high-speed data lines.