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Microsoft’s service provider customers add two new IPTV subscriber households per minute.

LAS VEGAS — At 2008 International CES, Microsoft Corp. announced that its Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and multimedia platform is delivering video entertainment experiences to more than 1 million set-top boxes worldwide and its service provider customers are adding two new IPTV subscriber households every minute. The Mediaroom platform is on pace to reach 1 million subscriber homes in the first quarter of 2008. These milestones demonstrate the growing consumer demand for IPTV and connected television experiences that go beyond traditional pay-TV offerings. Helping to lead this connected TV revolution, Microsoft Mediaroom is transforming the way viewers experience television, movies, music, photos and games in their own homes.

Deployed or being trialed by more than 20 service providers worldwide on four continents and in 18 countries, Microsoft Mediaroom enables unique features and experiences, such as simultaneous recording of multiple high-definition and standard-definition TV channels, personal media sharing, whole-home and remote digital video recording (DVR), and multiple picture-in-picture scenarios. The platform also integrates with the Xbox 360 gaming device, bringing together next-generation television and gaming offerings into an integrated entertainment experience. In addition, Microsoft Mediaroom allows third parties to create exciting new TV applications and services that enrich the TV viewing experience through the multimedia application environment in the platform.

“We’ve received a tremendous response for BT Vision from our customers,” said Dan Marks, CEO of the BT Vision service from BT, one of the leading service providers that has deployed television services based on Microsoft Mediaroom. “We expect to sign up many new BT Vision subscribers in 2008 and beyond and look forward to bringing them new and connected TV services built on the Microsoft Mediaroom platform.”

“The Microsoft Mediaroom platform is a key component in our vision to allow consumers to experience entertainment content on any device, anytime, anywhere,” said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Connected Television Division at Microsoft. “It is very rewarding to see this vision materialize with the support of our partners and customers. It is even more gratifying that the opportunity ahead for consumers to experience connected TV is even bigger than we had envisioned.”

Further showcasing Microsoft’s commitment to delivering unique connected TV services to consumers around the world, Microsoft announced several other Microsoft Mediaroom developments at the 2008 International CES:

•	DVR Anywhere. This gives consumers the flexibility to watch their recorded programs on any TV in their home, further enhancing the platform’s powerful connected TV capabilities. With DVR Anywhere, viewers could begin watching a movie in the living room, resume viewing it on the kitchen TV during dinner, and finish watching the same movie from the comfort of their bedroom. In addition, members of a household will never have to fight over the remote control again, due to the capability to watch the same or different recorded programs from multiple TVs in the home simultaneously while recording other shows to be viewed at their convenience.
•	Futuristic connected TV applications for Microsoft Mediaroom. Microsoft is partnering with ChoiceStream Inc., emuse technologies, ES3, Showtime Networks Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. to demonstrate applications that showcase new connected TV applications and scenarios that are enabled by the extensible Microsoft Mediaroom platform. These next-generation scenarios will be on display in the Microsoft booth at the 2008 International CES show.
•	Ecosystem partnership with Broadcom. Microsoft and Broadcom Corporation announced a collaboration in IPTV products. The collaboration includes Microsoft and Broadcom working together to enable the Microsoft Mediaroom client software to operate on next-generation set-top boxes utilizing the Broadcom BCM7405 system on a chip.

“Demand for connected TV services is increasing exponentially on a global scale,” said Vince Vittore, senior analyst at Yankee Group Research Inc. “Microsoft Mediaroom’s reaching 1 million set-top boxes is an important milestone. Microsoft Mediaroom is giving service providers new ways to differentiate themselves from the competition and further add subscribers with the many next-generation connected TV offerings the platform enables.”

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.

Microsoft Releases New Version of Its Windows Live Mobile Developer Program

Launches Windows Live @mobile, a scalable deployment program for mobile operators.

BARCELONA, Spain — At Mobile World Congress 2008, Microsoft Corp. announced that it is releasing a new version of its Windows Live Mobile Developer Program, enabling developers to create mobile versions of its popular Windows Live services that can be built for virtually any mobile phone independent of phone operating system. Microsoft also announced Windows Live @mobile, a new program that allows operators to adopt and deploy Windows Live services. These two initiatives will enable Microsoft’s developer community to deliver compelling Windows Live services and provide flexibility to access the Windows Live platform to innovate on top of those services. In addition, mobile operators can connect their customers to Windows Live, one of the largest communications and sharing networks in the world, create additional revenue opportunities and enhance the customer experience.

These latest updates to the Windows Live Mobile Developer Program include new features to Microsoft’s Mobile Services Protocol and a new software development kit (SDK), enabling developers to create mobile versions of Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Spaces that can work on any phone operating system. These updates give developers the capability to create applications with an exceptional user experience and more advanced functionality, all built on a WS*-compliant protocol.

Microsoft launched the Windows Live Mobile Developer Program more than two years ago. Today, over 70 independent software vendor partners are building applications that work on more than 800 devices equipped to support Windows Live for Mobile. Recently Nokia, with its Series 60 platform, adopted the Mobile Services Protocol to offer new capabilities to its mobile phone offering, including the ability to share media files within an instant messaging conversation and e-mail, integrated access to users’ Windows Live Contacts and phone address book, and one-click file photo upload to users’ Windows Live Spaces.

“Our relationships with operators and developers are key to our strategy. By providing developers with access to these platforms, we are enabling operators to provide access to Windows Live services for their customers and make money as well,” said Matt Champagne, director, Product Management, Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft. “Our Windows Live @mobile program is all about enabling operators to deploy our services as quickly as possible by providing standard ways to launch our services.”

Microsoft is also announcing the availability of Windows Live @mobile, a program that enables mobile operators to deploy a set of standard Microsoft mobile services such as Windows Live for Mobile and MSN Mobile to their customers quickly and efficiently. These standard deals support different business models, providing operators with several choices, including subscriptions, transactions or advertising so they fit with their existing business or new business ideas. Operators can choose to deploy browser-based services that work on nearly any phone with a data plan or with any of the certified third-party clients developed by Microsoft partners.

Currently, @mobile is available in 46 countries and is expanding to additional markets in the next year. Additional information on both Windows Live @mobile and the Windows Live Mobile Developer Program can be found at http://msnmobile.members.winisp.net.

MSN attracts more than 465 million unique users worldwide per month. With localized versions available globally in 42 markets and 21 languages, MSN is a world leader in delivering compelling programmed content experiences to consumers and online advertising opportunities to businesses worldwide. Windows Live, a comprehensive set of personal Internet services and software, is designed to bring together in one place all the relationships, information and interests people care about most, with enhanced safety and security features across their PC, devices and the Web. MSN and Windows Live will be offered alongside each other as complementary services. Some Windows Live services entered an early beta phase on Nov. 1, 2005; these and future beta updates can be found at http://ideas.live.com. Windows Live is available at http://www.live.com. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com. MSN worldwide sites are located at http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx.

Microsoft Mediaroom Delivers Connected TV to More Than 1 Million Set-Top Boxes

Microsoft Releases New Version of Its Windows Live Mobile Developer Program

Launches Windows Live @mobile, a scalable deployment program for mobile operators.