Microsoft Joins In TV Partnerships

Microsoft Corp. on Monday announced partnerships with more than a dozen groups to develop and deliver Microsoft Interactive Television, a concept that promises to broaden TV viewers’ choices and turn their sets into electronic shopping catalogues.

While other interactive television ventures exist, Microsoft used the National Cable and Television Association trade show in Dallas to announce the partnerships that it hopes will bring the software giant into interactive TV.

Microsoft identified its new partners as CUC International Inc., Discovery Communications Inc., ESPN Enterprises Inc., Foote Cone & Belding, HSN Interactive Inc., Interactive Network Inc., Interfilm Technologies Inc., The Lightspan Partnership Inc., Medio Multimedia Inc., Starwave Corp., Time Warner Interactive, Tribune Interactive Network Services and the U.S. Postal Service.

The partners will work with Microsoft to develop interactive content, applications and services. They were selected because of their involvement in areas expected to be important in interactive TV: games, entertainment, news and information services, home shopping, advertising, and public information access and education.

Microsoft did not immediately announce a timetable for development of its interactive TV product but said it hopes to have up to 100 partners on board by year’s end.

Partnerships for testing Microsoft’s interactive TV product also were announced.

A new company that includes Bell Atlantic, NYNEX and Pacific Telesis Group will begin testing Microsoft’s interactive TV software in July. The consortium of telephone companies will test Microsoft’s software, and Microsoft will use the results to refine its own product.

The lab testing could last up to six months, the companies said.

Jim Durkin, lead product manager for Microsoft interactive TV trials, said other companies are also testing Microsoft’s interactive TV software, and Microsoft is doing its own testing.