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To: art slott who wrote (2067)	5/10/1998 1:33:00 PM
From: art slott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4748

<Picture> <Picture: MSNBC Investment Challenge> <Picture> <Picture: iCat Offers Free Stores> <Picture> <Picture> <Picture: MSNBC home page> <Picture> <Picture> <Picture><Picture><Picture>TCI expands set-top deal with Sunÿ Agreement gives Java big boost in cable industryÿ <Picture: Image: Scott McNealy>Sun Microsystems Chairman Scott McNealy, shown earlier this year, called the TCI deal "a colossal win for consumers and for the Java platform." <Picture>ÿBy David Bowermaster MSNBCMay 6 -ÿSun Microsystems scored a major victory for its Java programming language on Wednesday when cable giant Tele-Communications Inc. announced that it will deploy Sun's PersonalJava in all of the up to 18 million digital set-top boxes that TCI and its affiliates plan to deploy over the next five years. TCI said it will also use a new Sun operating system in some of the devices.ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ <Picture> <Picture>ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ <Picture> <Picture><Picture: MSNBC News>ÿSliding toward chaos .<Picture: MSNBC News>ÿMicrosoft probed in its home state<Picture: MSNBC News>ÿDow rallies despite strong jobs data<Picture: MSNBC News>ÿFinance ministers warn Indonesia ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ <Picture>ÿ ÿ <Picture: Microsoft Investor>Sun Microsystems, Inc. (SUNW) pricechange$41.88+0.875 Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) pricechange$85.75+2.375 TCI Group (TCOMA) pricechange$33.91+0.531 <Picture: LiveQuote!>Data: Microsoft Investor and S&P Comstock 20 min.delay ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿTCI HAD PREVIOUSLY committed to use Sun's PersonalJava as applications software in a portion of its set-top boxes, and Monday it finalized an agreement with Microsoft to deploy its Windows CE operating system in at least 5 million set-top boxes. (Microsoft is a partner in the joint venture that operates MSNBC.) ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿWednesday's announcement significantly expands the agreement with Sun to specify that not only will PersonalJava reside on all TCI set-tops, but some of the devices will also use JavaOS for Consumers as its base operating software. Sun will also supply the software port to PersonalJava for boxes with Windows CE. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿWhile TCI itself currently has around 10 million subscribers - pending the completion of a number of acquisitions - partnerships and joint ventures with other cable operators extend TCI's reach to around 18 million subscribers. TCI hopes to have digital set-top boxes in nearly all of those homes by 2002. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ"Every WinCE set-top and any device TCI intends to ship with the JavaOS for Consumers operating system will be running the PersonalJava environment," Sun chairman and CEO Scott McNealy said in a statement. "This is a colossal win for consumers and for the Java platform." ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿMore Java endorsements are in the works. "Very shortly other MSOs will make a commitment to do a very similar type of thing," said David Beddow, senior vice-president in charge of TCI's National Digital Television Center and a lead negotiator on the company's set-top deals. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿMcNealy likewise said the TCI deal will soon be complemented by "what we believe will be a very interesting series of announcements by other [cable] operators." TCI's John Malone had previously said WindowsCE was "the horse we're going to ride" for cable operating systems. <Picture: Image: TCI's John Malone>ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿThe move is yet another defensive maneuver by TCI chief John Malone to keep Microsoft from becoming the dominant software supplier to the cable industry as it rolls out a bevy of new interactive TV services, from e-mail to online commerce. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ"With Sun's PersonalJava software, TCI will be able to deploy multiple world-class operating systems in millions of advanced digital devices," said Malone. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿIt was not immediately clear how many TCI set-tops will deploy JavaOS. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ"TCI can ship as many [set-tops with] JavaOS as they like," McNealy said, adding that Sun will push heavily to maximize the amount. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ"In any contracts, you have commitments for certain volumes under certain circumstances," said Beddow. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿAlthough he declined to give specific numbers on how many boxes will deploy JavaOS versus Windows CE or another operating system, Beddow said: "By virtue of what we're doing we've made a commitment that is certainly on an equal footing for both [Sun and Microsoft], and you could argue that we've made a bigger commitment to Sun," since PersonalJava will be in all TCI set-tops. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿBeddow also stressed that TCI will be able to download and change operating systems on its devices at any time, so the totals could be fluid. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ"Both Microsoft and Sun and our other suppliers that come along have to perform, so I'd say that destiny is in their hands," he said. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿNonetheless, Wednesday's announcement appears to be a blow for Microsoft. Malone had hinted in January that while the preliminary agreement with Microsoft called for TCI to put Windows CE in a minimum of 5 million set-top boxes, it would likely end up in many more devices. ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ"We don't really contemplate trying to license any other operating system on our own behalf," Malone said at the time. Given the head start and advantages of Windows CE over other operating systems, Malone said, "this is the horse we're going to ride." ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ<Picture><Picture: Top 10 Voting><Picture>ÿ ÿÿ <Picture: Logos>ÿ ÿ ÿ Cover \| Quick News \| News \| Business \| Sports \| Local News \| Technology \| Living & Travel \| On Air Opinions \| Weather \| The Microsoft Network \| Find \| About MSNBC \| Help \| Personal Toolkit Write Us \| Index \| Advertising on MSNBC \| Terms, Conditions, and Privacyÿ ÿ <Picture>