Two new companies have signed up with Microsoft TV to trial their latest Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) offering. Reliance Infocomm, part of the Reliance Group, the vast Indian conglomerate with US$ 16.8 billion yearly revenue, and Bell Canada a Canadian Cable company, both plan to use their networks to offer TV services. Bell Canada will be the first North American Telco to try the Microsoft solution.
The details of the India trial are not clear as yet, but Bell Canada plan to begin testing with subscribers on their “early adopter” programme, who live in six chosen apartment blocks in Toronto. The Canadians will get to use the Microsoft TV’s Interactive Program Guide (IPG) and video on demand (VOD).
Microsoft feels that they offer a complete end-to-end solution based on Windows Media 9, enabling telecom and cable companies to quickly get involved providing television services over their existing networks. Their previous offering have not been too popular, but they are putting lots of effort behind this version.