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The Electronic Times Internet
Friday, August 13, 2004
By Sung Ho-chul



The information technology giant Microsoft of the United States declared participation in the domestic broadcasting service market, capitalizing on its Windows and Windows Media Technology (WMT), a digital data compression and streaming technology.

"Having formed the 'Media & Entertainment Division' headed by a vice president in July last year, the head office of Microsoft in the United States joined the U.S. broadcasting service market. And it recently decided to expand its presence in the world broadcasting service market, including Korea," said an executive member of Microsoft Korea yesterday.

"In the United States, the company has successfully secured a reference by installing digital broadcasting solutions at PBS, comprising platforms and infrastructure. Microsoft Korea aims to make inroads into broadcasting service market in collaboration with major terrestrial TV broadcasters, such as KBS, MBC and SBS," he added.

In line with the strategy of its head office, Microsoft Korea set up the Media & Entertainment Division last month, while forming partnership relations with broadcasting equipment and solution firms, including Avid, Pinnacle Systems, SeaChange International, Adobe, Omnibus, BBC Technology and Discrete.

Experts analyze that blurred borderline between broadcasting and computing environments caused in the course of digitalization of broadcast has offered Microsoft a chance to break into the broadcasting service market.

"Microsoft appears to attempt to join the broadcasting service market by establishing WMT as a broadcasting technology standard. Functions of WMT HD and WMT10 will certainly be upgraded, but we cannot tell yet in what manner Microsoft will participate in broadcasting service market," said an expert.

"We began marketing activities by proposing network production solutions to KBS last month. In early stage, we will concentrate our resources on acquiring references by supplying solutions such as digital asset management systems to broadcasters," said Yu Jae-gu, manager at Media & Entertainment Division of Microsoft Korea.

"In conjunction with broadcasting application providers, the company will help broadcasters install digital broadcasting systems, leading to form the 'Microsoft camp' in broadcasting industry based on WMT and Windows operating system," added Yu. "We expect the position of WMT in broadcasting industry to be doubled after October when Microsoft rolls out WMT10 and WMT HD."