Microsoft elaborated on its plans for TV set-top boxes today, giving
further momentum to this young but growing consumer market.
The company said today that it has released details of its software for both TV set-top devices and the powerful server computers that deliver the service to customers.
The "client" software for set-top devices, called Microsoft TV, works with Internet terminals, advanced TV set-top boxes, and TVs with integrated set-top functions, Microsoft said. The server software, fittingly dubbed Microsoft TV Server, deploys and managing these interactive TV services.
Microsoft said that more than 30 industry-leading companies are "already
actively working with the [client] software...to create new
devices, services, and content." Client software is the interface that
viewers see and interact with, while server software is used on large-scale computers as "back-end" technology that drives the service.
Many believe that in the near future, most consumers will choose to access
the Internet through high-speed connections to the television set. As a
result, many companies, including Microsoft, are vying to gain an early
lead in shaping the interface and features of these devices, as well as the
lucrative services that go along with them.
"The Microsoft TV platform [allows] the television industry to
prosper from the convergence of the Internet, digital services, and
traditional broadcasting," said Jon DeVaan, vice president of the Consumer
and Commerce Group at Microsoft in a statement.
Microsoft said it is tapping into technology used in its WebTV Network
service for the client software while "opening the technology and
providing more options to more hardware providers, network operators, and
consumers worldwide."
The client software is based the Windows CE operating system and allows service providers to "customize the user interface to online content."
The software kit includes a Microsoft-designed electronic program guide
for broadcasters and producers delivering interactive programming and
content. The Microsoft TV Server suite of software provides tools to
"manage and operate a large-scale, commercial-grade, enhanced TV service," Microsoft said.
The server software is built on the Windows 2000 Server, the Microsoft
BackOffice family, and WebTV technologies and is "designed to integrate with a network operator's existing systems for billing, customer service,
network management, video on demand, and other existing or specialized
back-end applications," the company said.
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