BBC to re-jig online offerings
p2p news / p2pnet: The BBC says it’s going to redesign its online offerings, “for an era of on-demand TV and radio, and personalised web services”.
And Microsoft will be front and centre in the new plans.
Sharing a stage with Bill Gates at Microsoft’s Mix06 conference, Ashley Highfield, director of the BBC’s new media division, “also showed off the BBC’s Integrated Media Player (iMP), designed to allow users seven-day access to TV shows.
“The iMP, which uses peer-to-peer technology to distribute BBC content across the internet, has been undergoing extensive user trials.”
And he explained how a system, “like iMP,” could, “work on a computer running Microsoft’s updated Windows Vista operating system as part of a potential home entertainment solution”.
“We have a duty of universality, so it’s vital that we innovate through a number of strategic partnerships with technology companies and distributors such as Microsoft, Apple, Sony, Homechoice, NTL and Telewest,” said Highfield.
Microsoft used the inaugural Mix conference, “to gather a host of new media players in Las Vegas,” says the Beeb, adding that it was joined by representatives from, “web pioneers Amazon and eBay, as well as the hugely successful community site MySpace, recently bought by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation”.
Also See:
Mix06 – Gates: ‘We waited too long’, March 21, 2006
BBC – BBC vows to reinvent web services, March 21, 2006
MySpace – MySpace safe, says ceo, March 7, 2006
March 23rd, 2006 at 8:44 am
Oh dear, if billybob is involved in this venture it will surely mean some kind of M$ proprietory lock in.
I’m a tax paying englishman, so why do i have to use the BBC’s media player to play public content?? And this does not even mention if the player will be available for GNU/Linux OS’s.
The BBC should open up their protocols and allow any software to interface with them.