Microsoft Furthers Its Telco 2.0 Vision at NXTcomm 2007

This week at NXTcomm 2007, Microsoft Corp. will demonstrate how it helps telecommunications providers make the transition to Telco 2.0, where traditional telecommunications offerings meld with technologies from the Web 2.0 world to form a nearly endless range of innovative new services. Through its exhibit and participation in the conference program at NXTcomm, Microsoft will highlight three components critical to making Telco 2.0 a reality: screens, services and service delivery. Solutions and products featured at the show will include Microsoft Mediaroom, the latest update to the company's award-winning Microsoft TV Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition software platform, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Microsoft Solution for Enhanced VoIP Services, Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration, Hosted Microsoft Dynamics for CRM solution, Microsoft Solution for Managed PC, Microsoft Connected Services Framework and Microsoft Connected Services Sandbox.

"NXTcomm provides a great venue to see firsthand the strides being made by vendors and carriers in developing and delivering industry-changing services," said Michael O'Hara, general manager for the Communications Sector at Microsoft. "From the Microsoft perspective, this week marks two significant milestones with the launch of Microsoft Mediaroom, the latest version of our IPTV software platform and the first public demonstration of managed network ‘mashups' from our Connected Services Sandbox program. We believe our wide range of solutions and products will help deliver the promise of Telco 2.0, enabling telecommunications providers to offer new services that allow them to attract new customers, reduce churn and drive new revenue streams."

Earlier today, Microsoft announced the availability of Microsoft Mediaroom, the latest update to its IPTV software platform, featuring several new multimedia capabilities such as in-home personal music and photo sharing, dynamic MultiView (multiple picture-in-picture), Multimedia Application Environment that enables interactive services and advanced applications, and support for digital terrestrial television (DTT). Microsoft also introduced the Microsoft Mediaroom Application Development toolkit, which gives service providers and third-party developers tools to create compelling, revenue-generating TV-based applications that run on the Mediaroom platform.

The renaming of the IPTV platform to Microsoft Mediaroom better reflects the broader set of new connected entertainment experiences made possible today and the types of experiences anticipated in the future. In addition, the Microsoft Mediaroom name and identity are designed to be used by service providers as an ingredient brand to create a powerful competitive differentiator to support their consumer marketing activities.

Microsoft also announced key results from its Connected Services Sandbox, an initiative to help promote the Telco 2.0 vision. The winner of NXTcomm's 2007 Eos Excellence of Achievement Award for Best Strategic Support, the Connected Services Sandbox encourages independent software vendors, systems integrators and developers to collaborate with leading telecommunications providers in the development of managed network mashups.

Recent successes of the Connected Services Sandbox include the creation of more than 120 service mashups, winning designs from the first of several developer competitions, and the addition of several new participants. A number of the new service combinations created in the Connected Services Sandbox will be demonstrated in Microsoft's exhibit at NXTcomm.

Source: Microsoft