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Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (8264)	9/9/2000 7:03:57 AM
From: MikeM54321	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 12823

Re: Digital TV - MSFT Moving in Quickly Thread- Some interesting notes about Microsoft's push into i-TV. Lot's of players mentioned below, but still doesn't reflect just how many are involved in the race to establish some sort of footprint in the billion TV households worldwide. I'm of the opinion that the media is not understanding the significant impact, using the TV as a communications device, will have on the world. But MSFT understands it and is clearly positioning themselves to take part in it's growth. Keep in mind, as i-TV rolls out, that puts a substantial burden on the Internet. If i-TV turns out to be wildly successful, that will grind the Internet to a halt. The only solution is upgrades to handle the flood of data. IMO, all three portions(access, metro, and core) will be overburdened if i-TV is successful. I'm basing this statement on the fact that the PC penetration rate is a pittance compared to the penetration rate of TV into households. If you think the list of players below is substantial, here is another list of companies from my upstream post: Message 14273140 ....anyone have any investing ideas that are not currently wildly overvalued? -MikeM(From Florida) ****************************** Microsoft Unveils New TV Software By Mike Tarsala, CBS.MarketWatch.com REDMOND, Wash.-- An agreement with the Dutch group Philips announced Friday adds to a battalion of companies signed on to either use products from or make products for Microsoft's interactive television technologies, Microsoft said. Microsoft's coup comes during a week that saw a flurry of interactive television announcements from a broadcasting conference in Amsterdam. The show highlighted the dozens of companies vying to more closely marry Internet and television technologies. Indeed, one of the biggest came from Philips(PHG). A leader in making television set-top boxes, the electronics company will use software Microsoft demonstrated Friday in a family of planned TV-set-top units. Including the Philips deal, Microsoft says it will have its software in 15 million set-top boxes by as early as next year. The company claims to have 1,000 companies lined up behind its interactive TV technologies, including sales companies and makers of complementary products. In addition, Microsoft demonstrated a family of interactive TV software Friday that's for use by consumers and cable and satellite companies. The new offerings could help the company take advantage of a fledgling market that more closely marries Internet and television technologies**. Jon DeVaan, a Microsoft vice president, called the demonstrated software "a key part of our vision of enabling computing at any time, any place and on any device." Microsoft's hope is that more TV broadcasters soon will be using its software to let viewers chat about TV shows in progress, give behind-the-scenes show details and even allow customers to instantly purchase goods advertised during a show. An agreement Microsoft unveiled Thursday gives hints of its TV technologies to come. Viacom's (VIA) CBS said it will use Microsoft's WebTV to offer Internet-enhanced shows over the CBS network for the upcoming fall television season. Microsoft is said to be paying about $20 million so it can offer via its WebTV Plus service extra show details during broadcasts. The interactive programming is expected to come in the form of chat rooms and factoids during sports broadcasts and shows, including "Survivor." See full story. A Microsoft spokeswoman said the CBS deal expands the number of hours of interactive TV available through WebTV to more than 500. Soon, Microsoft plans to make much of that same TV content available through satellite TV subscribers via a set-top box. The company also announced Friday that it will marry some of its upcoming interactive TV technologies with the Windows computer operating system. Certain upcoming versions of Windows will allow personal computers to offer some interactive TV features, including an online programming guide. The Windows software also will work with PC-like entertainment "appliances" that work with DVD players and digital media jukeboxes, DeVaan said. Microsoft faces a slew of competition in interactive TV, however, industry analysts say. That fact is demonstrated in the number of high profile companies banging a drum at this week's convention, including America Online (AOL), Liberate Technologies (LBRT) and Nokia (NOK). America Online on Friday started its own interactive TV service called AOLTV that will compete with Microsoft's WebTV. Following a product introduction in Phoenix, AOL plans to roll out the service nationwide for $24.95 a month, or $14.95 for current AOL subscribers. While still cozy with Microsoft, Philips is making hay with America Online, as well. The electronics giant will make set-top boxes for AOLTV. Philips will work with set-top software maker Liberate to build new boxes with built-in multimedia features. Meanwhile, Liberate on Friday formed its own partnership with European chip maker STMicroelectronics (STM) to develop set-top boxes. Handheld phone giant Nokia also got into the interactive TV mix. It launched its Media Terminal, a WebTV-like appliance based on the Linux operating system. It's supposed to offer "full" Internet access over TV broadcast networks. All of the companies at the industry show hope to profit from interactive TV. The most aggressive pundits call the technology the biggest groundswell of change in the broadcasting industry in more than 30 years. See analyst interview. To be sure, there are high hopes for the market. More than 150 million enhanced TV sets will eventually be used in the U.S. alone, according to Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown. And television commerce revenue is supposed to out-gain all other e-commerce revenue by 2004. cbs.marketwatch.com