Microsoft TV Foundation

Today, Microsoft announced a new platform, Microsoft TV Foundation, aimed at cable operators. At first glance, Microsoft appears to be making a credible stab at delivering to cable operators a viable alternative to existing software and program guides serving up digital media or on-demand programming.

But many questions remain unanswered about how “open” is Microsoft’s approach to the software. In the past, Microsoft platforms typically favor the company’s technologies and file formats. If Microsoft has embarked on a strategy that largely or exclusively favors Windows Media technologies, the new platform is off-course from the start. The cable industry has loathed adopting technologies supplied by a single vendor, instead favoring industry-sanctioned standards such as MPEG-2.

As with new Windows Media formats unveiled with the release of Windows XP in October 2001, Microsoft TV Foundation launches with sparse hardware and software manufacturer support but no big players in the target industry. With Windows Media, Microsoft initially focused on widening consumer electronics hardware support for the file formats, a strategy the company appears to be replaying now. Advanced Digital Broadcast, Concurrent Computer, MetaTV, Motorola, SeaChange and Two Way TV are the group of software and hardware developers initially supporting Microsoft TV Foundation. Cablevisión Mexico is the only cable operator announcing plans to support Microsoft TV Foundation.

Competitors and potential customers and partners should view today’s announcement as another attempt by Microsoft to make inroads into the cable market. Past attempts either focused on direct services or investments in cable companies. Release of Microsoft TV Foundation is a back-to-basics approach consistent with Microsoft’s refocusing on building technology that other companies either adopt or build onto.

Please see "Microsoft's Better Together Strategy" posting, where I revise some of the views on the TV Foundation platform.

I contacted Microsoft concerning questions I had about the publicly released information. Following the briefing and Microsoft's later announcement that Comcast would run trials with the software, I revised my analysis. For example, Microsoft did take a more “open” technology, for which the company should be praised.

Posted by Joe Wilcox at June 09, 2003 10:53 AM