DSL demand should pick up with this Microsoft & NTT agreement:
Microsoft and NTT Communications Form Strategic Alliance to Deliver
Online Gaming Service for Xbox in Japan
TOKYO, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT -
news) and NTT Communications Corp. (NTT Com) today announced a
strategic alliance to establish a dedicated high-quality, high-speed
broadband online gaming service in Japan for use of the Microsoft®
Xbox(TM) video game system. This new service, expected to launch in
2002, will offer gamers in Japan a new way to experience gameplay and
propel the idea of connected gaming from a novelty into a necessity.
(Photo: newscom.com )
``Every Xbox console has built-in broadband capability, the technology of
the future for online video gaming. This alliance with NTT Com will enable
gamers to enjoy the best online game content and gaming experience
available,'' said Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of
Microsoft, who will deliver the keynote address at the Tokyo Games Show
tomorrow.
NTT Com, Japan's leading telecommunications company, will provide
Microsoft with access to ADSL through OCN's broadband services.
Microsoft's Xbox Division in Japan will co-manage the build-out of the
online gaming service. This division will also provide support for the game
developers creating online-enabled Xbox games.
``With broadband entering a new phase, as evidenced by the rapid
proliferation of ADSL, we consider 2001 to be the inaugural year for
broadband services,'' said Masanobu Suzuki, president and CEO of NTT
Com. ``NTT Com has been striving to expand its IP-based broadband
communications infrastructure. I truly believe that the Xbox service will
contribute greatly to the proliferation of broadband services among
Japanese households.''
Xbox is the only video game system designed from the beginning to be a great platform for online gaming.
The Ethernet port and hard disk drive inside every Xbox system let game developers create new
online-enabled games that take the video game experience beyond the walls of the gamer's home and connect
them to other gamers throughout the country.
Microsoft and NTT Com are also collaborating to explore the future use of enhanced fiber-optic connections,
with speeds up to 100 Mbit, to create more compelling online video game experiences.
About NTT Communications
NTT Communications (NTT Com), a Tokyo-based subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.,
provides long-distance and international telecommunications reaching over 200 countries worldwide. In
conjunction with Verio Inc., a U.S.-based subsidiary wholly owned by NTT Com, the NTT Com group ranks
among the top IP service providers globally. The group provides customers of all sizes in the United States,
Japan, and throughout Asia with a complete range of Internet-based business services -- from high-quality
IP network services including global connectivity, network management and IP-VPN to advanced
Web-based business solutions. NTT Com's Arcstar global services operating in about 50 countries also
provide managed data, multimedia and other services to some of the largest companies in the world. More
information about NTT Com can be found at the company's Web site at ntt.com .
About Xbox
Xbox ( xbox.com ) is Microsoft's future-generation video game system that delivers new and
unforeseen gameplay experiences. With more than three times the graphics performance of the newest
generation of game systems, Xbox unleashes game designers' creativity to produce games that are
challenging, exhilarating, surprising and fun.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for
personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to
empower people through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.
The information contained in this press release relates to prerelease products that may be substantially
modified before their first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or
reflect the products when first commercially released. This press release is provided for informational
purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to this document or the
information contained in it.
NOTE: Microsoft and Xbox are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United
States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective
owners. |
