Microsoft TV to Accelerate Microsoft Mediaroom Deployments With New Interoperability and Qualification Lab

07/09/2007 06:03



PR Newswire



AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, September 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Programme will facilitate quality control and enable faster time to market for IPTV ecosystem vendors and service providers.

Today at IBC2007 Microsoft Corp announced the Microsoft(R) Mediaroom(TM) Interoperability and Qualification Lab (IQ Lab) for digital video encoders. This programme will help enable the ongoing interoperability and compliance of encoders used in deployments of the award-winning Microsoft Mediaroom multimedia and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) software platform. IQ Lab-compliant encoding vendors will become recommended Microsoft Mediaroom ecosystem partners. As the Microsoft Mediaroom software platform continues to gain momentum around the world, encoding partners will be able to capitalise on this growth by enabling their solutions to seamlessly integrate with the platform to deliver fast and smooth service provider deployments.

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Based in Microsoft's Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View, California, the IQ Lab gives encoding vendors the opportunity to test their products in a controlled IPTV production environment, with set-top boxes from several vendors. The programme also provides the following services for encoding vendors:


-- Support and training. Access to Microsoft IPTV training sessions and a dedicated team of Microsoft engineers and programme managers to evaluate whether encoding specifications are met


-- Testing and qualification lab access. Dedicated testing time in the lab with access to test reporting and analysis resources


-- Test tools and consulting services. Access to test kits and Mediaroom software and AV consulting expertise to encoding solutions to support future versions of the software platform

For Microsoft Mediaroom service provider customers, the IQ Lab helps enhance encoder product quality and gives them an opportunity to work with a broad array of encoding vendors as they deploy advanced digital TV services. In addition, with the IQ Lab programme Microsoft and its encoding partners can remain aligned as the Microsoft Mediaroom platform evolves. Several of Microsoft TV's encoding partners, including Envivio Inc, Harmonic Inc, Motorola, TANDBERG Television and Thomson, have already signed up for the IQ Lab. Each of these companies has also completed the qualification of one or more encoders, which are now in use by several Mediaroom customers.

"As worldwide deployments of Microsoft Mediaroom accelerate, we plan to offer our service provider customers the strongest set of encoding solutions to choose from, while enabling our encoding partners to succeed," said Joe Seidel, director of global partner development for the Microsoft TV business at Microsoft. "The investment and commitment on our part and by our encoding partners is an indication of the strength of our global IPTV ecosystem."

More than 19 of the world's leading service providers have selected the Microsoft Mediaroom platform for their digital TV offerings. Commercial deployments are under way with 11 providers. Microsoft Mediaroom will be on display at the Topaz stand at IBC2007, taking place 6-11 Sept at Amsterdam's RAI Congress Centre. Additional information about the IQ Lab programme can be obtained by sending e-mail to salesinf@microsoft.com.

About Microsoft TV
Microsoft TV enables the future of television by helping broadband network operators deliver advanced digital TV services and new connected entertainment experiences to audiences worldwide. Microsoft TV solutions offer a rich, personalised consumer experience while creating new business opportunities for broadband service providers, hardware manufacturers, content creators, advertisers and application developers. Microsoft Mediaroom is the latest update to Microsoft's award-winning Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) software platform. With Microsoft Mediaroom, service providers can deliver a superior experience, with advanced digital TV features and multimedia capabilities. More information about 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.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.

About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 12,000 people in over 55 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.

This material is for informational purposes only. Microsoft Corp disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to use of the material for other purposes. Microsoft Corp shall not, at any time, be liable for any special, direct, indirect or consequential damages, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of the material. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting any kind of warranty.

Web site: http://www.microsoft.com
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