"Ultimately, this opens the door for not only Philips to come in and supply advanced set-tops, but others such as U.K.-based Pace Micro, Pioneer, and any other
number of companies could vie for business with
MediaOne against GI and Scientific-Atlanta.
The move to adopt Canal Plus software also means
more competition for the software that is needed to
enable interactive services. Microsoft has been
spending big to ensure its Windows CE and NT
operating system software are used by AT&T, which
now owns MediaOne.
Meanwhile, MediaOne Ventures, Cox, and Comcast
have all invested in Liberate Technologies, which also
provides software for this market.
Also, industry sources say OpenTV may be close to
signing up its first U.S. cable customer, as well. The
company, which like Canal Plus has enjoyed most of
its success in Europe to date, is getting ready to
deploy its software in set-tops from satellite service
provider Echostar by early 2000." |
