Bowing to Netizens' complaints of an exclusive deal with Microsoft, Paramount is making more content from
its highly popular Star Trek Web site available for Macintosh and Netscape Navigator users.
The new deal calls for IBM to be
Paramount's technology partner and charter sponsor of Paramount's Star
Trek: Continuum Web site. Paramount is owned by media giant Viacom.
"Formerly available exclusively on Microsoft Network, Star Trek: Continuum
is now available to millions of additional fans," Paramount said in a
statement. "As before, access is available for Windows 95/Internet Explorer
browser users; however, for the first time, a version of the site is now
available for Macintosh and Netscape users."
Paramount said the deal with MSN expired at year's end and was not renewed.
"We had multiyear agreement with them, and we chose not to renew," said Ed
Graczyk, product manager for the Microsoft Network. "We were happy working
with them."
In coming months, IBM and Paramount plan to make the site's entire content
lineup available to Navigator users with events, chats, activities, information, and sale of
products. Netscape remains the dominant browser supplier, although
Microsoft is gaining ground.
"Star Trek fans spoke, and we listened," said David Wertheimer, president
of Paramount Digital Entertainment. "The union with IBM confirms our
commitment to our audience to provide universal access to [the] site."
As previously reported by CNET's NEWS.COM, the best content from the site was
available only through Microsoft's IE browser, angering some users. The
IE-only angle rekindled a mounting concern expressed by some Netizens and
even lawmakers of Microsoft's growing power in the delivery of
information on the Internet. They worry that it will accelerate as the
company integrates IE into its Windows operating system.
Microsoft denies those charges. The company says it is not demanding any
exclusivity in these deals and that IE is being chosen because of its
technology capabilities, such as a full range of animation and sound. It
also pointed out that while there was "limited functionality" with Netscape
Navigator, the site still could be accessed by users with the Navigator
browser.
As recently as last month, MSN pointed to the Star Trek site on its free Web
page, with the message: "Star Trek: Continuum is now on the Web! Available
now for Windows 95 and Internet Explorer!" That link is no longer available.
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