Microsoft's Media Strategy in China

I was doing some research the other day on Microsoft's media strategy in China and although it's not a complete list, I thought I'd share some of what I found. The most interesting thing I found was on Silverlight, Microsoft's new web-based multimedia technology. You can find silverlight at the bottom of this post.

Happy linking.

I. MSN

• Microsoft to set up MSN center in China (1/07)
• http://goog.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/10/24-7-media-posts-loss-microsoft-still-interested/

• Beijing Netcom is one of the 15 operator customers listed on the Microsoft TV website.
• Microsoft TV IP Edition Brochure
Microsoft TV Foundation Edition Brochure
• From FAQ:
How are Microsoft TV products different from the MSN TV service?

Microsoft TV platforms are developed for cable operators and broadband providers to deliver differentiated TV services. The MSN TV service (formerly the WebTV service) is a turnkey product with subscription services for U.S. consumers that are delivered via a set-top box running software based on the Microsoft TV platform.

• Microsoft IPTV Partnership with Alcatel
Alcatel is often the systems integrator for operators’ ADSL systems. When this is the case, Alcatel can offer to provide the Microsoft IPTV services. This will mean that when the operators procure IPTV STB, the STB vendors will be required to install the Microsoft IPTV operating software in each box. Alcatel will also have to add some storage and other hardware components to the ADSL system to accommodate for the IPTV services, and there may be additional Microsoft software installed at the server level as well. I think this is what has happened in the Beijing Netcom case, but I am not sure.


III. PCs

• Windows Media Center (XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate)
Useful online summary

It's entertainment on your terms with Windows Media Center. If your PC has a TV tuner, you can use Windows Media Center to record, watch, and pause live television on your desktop or mobile PC. Use the built-in television guide and a compatible remote control for even greater convenience.

o Windows Media Center Extender – a hardware device to extend PC media capabilities to TVs in other parts of the house.

Keep your PC where it makes sense, but enjoy all the digital entertainment stored on it, in any room of your home with Windows Media Center Extender. Connect a Windows Media Center Extender to any TV in your home and access the pictures, music, video, and recorded TV stored on your PC running Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate through your home wired or wireless network, using the Media Center easy to navigate menus. Keep your PC where it makes sense, but enjoy all the digital entertainment stored on it, in any room of your home with Windows Media Center Extender. Connect a Windows Media Center Extender to any TV in your home and access the pictures, music, video, and recorded TV stored on your PC running Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate through your home wired or wireless network, using the Media Center easy to navigate menus.

• Windows Media Player

IV. Web

• Microsoft Silverlight

Microsoft® Silverlight™ is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. Silverlight offers a flexible programming model that supports AJAX, VB, C#, Python, and Ruby, and integrates with existing Web applications. Silverlight supports fast, cost-effective delivery of high-quality video to all major browsers running on the Mac OS or Windows.

plain-text translation: Silverlight is a lot like (and should be a key competitor for) Flash.
o Great explanation of Silverlight from MSDN Magazine June 2007
o See also the Silverlight developers' blogs
o Windows Media technologies and the upcoming rich media client platform with Silverlight bring great improvements to the challenges of delivering content on the Web. Silverlight and Beijing 2008 Olympics.