Wave Systems Corp. (fka WAVXQ)

[vickers2]

Barge: what's Microsoft up to??

http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/21/microsoft-ballmer-telekom-cx_cn_0321autofacescan03.html?partner=yah...

Deutsche Telekom In TV Tie With Ballmer's M'soft
Chris Noon, 03.21.06, 8:37 AM ET

London - Deutsche Telekom has inked an agreement with Microsoft on an alliance to deliver next-generation television to consumers across Germany.

The alliance will enable Deutsche Telekom (nyse: DT - news - people ) to deliver next-generation television, as well as complementary interactive services and a range of entertainment products, over its ultra high-speed VDSL broadband network. Under the agreement, Telekom will use Microsoft Internet Protocol Television software to deliver TV on the network.

Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) will support Deutsche Telekom with marketing to help develop IPTV in the country. The agreement reached with the giant telco is Microsoft's largest IPTV-contract on the continent to date and its second largest worldwide.

Customers will use the platform to receive regular TV programs as well as advanced television services including standard- and high-definition programs, interactive TV, digital video recording and video on demand.

The German telecoms giant plans to offer access to the new network--which has speeds of up to 50 megabits per second--in 10 German cities from mid-2006, including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich. "Today's announcement represents Microsoft's largest IPTV agreement in Europe to date and is a very significant milestone in our long-standing relationship with Deutsche Telekom," Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer is quoted as saying in the Telekom press release.

No financial details for die Partnerschaft were disclosed, though Telekom Chairman Kai-Uwe Ricke said his company would join Microsoft in writing "another chapter in our longstanding cooperation, tapping new markets and together exploring exciting new growth opportunities".