Be A Love And Scale My Differentiated Service Integrators, Sweetheart, There's A Good Girl...

Lydia Curtis is on fire with this stuff. I sort of see what she's driving at, but I'm still baffled why what potentially seems to be a reasonably interesting thing - streaming TV anywhere in the house (is that what she's on about?) - has to be made so crushingly tedious to read. Is it Microsoft policy or something? Anyway, this is another doozy from yesterday's supplier who goes on to say:

This one's even better, sounding not unlike an announcement of the start of World War IV or somesuch.

My favourite bit: “Alcatel-Lucent and Microsoft commenced a strategic reseller and systems integration relationship to accelerate the worldwide availability of IPTV, and this successful relationship remains in place,” said Christine Heckart, general manager of marketing for Microsoft Mediaroom.

Sounds great Christine - how about drinks at my place on Friday?!??

Begin forwarded message:
From: "Curtis, Lydia (LDN-WSW)" Date: 16 June 2008 16:24:14 BDT
To: "Curtis, Lydia (LDN-WSW)"
Subject: Microsoft Names HP, Tech Mahindra and 180Squared New Systems Integration Partners for Microsoft Mediaroom Deployments

For Release 6:30 a.m. PDT
June 16, 2008
Microsoft Names HP, Tech Mahindra and 180Squared New Systems Integration Partners for Microsoft Mediaroom Deployments Expanding Microsoft Mediaroom ecosystem supports scaling of deployments worldwide.

LAS VEGAS — June 16, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced at NXTcomm08 the addition of Internet Protocol television (IPTV) systems integration partners HP, Tech Mahindra Ltd. and 180Squared Inc. to the Microsoft Mediaroom technology ecosystem. The three companies completed a Mediaroom training and market-readiness program, enabling them to offer deployment services to new and existing Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV customers, including 20 of the world’s leading service providers across four continents.
As part of the training and market-readiness program, the new systems integrators completed training, which ensures that service providers around the world will have various high-quality vendors to assist them with deployments of their Microsoft Mediaroom-powered connected TV service offerings. The expansion of the Microsoft Mediaroom technology ecosystem to include additional systems integrators reflects a growing interest in world-class IPTV services from broadband operators of various sizes and geographic locations.
HP, Tech Mahindra and 180Squared have also demonstrated their commitment to ensuring successful deployments of Microsoft Mediaroom-connected TV services by working with Microsoft to build center of excellence laboratories around the world. These facilities are being established to provide service providers with resources to take their IPTV operations from trial stages to commercial deployment.
“Alcatel-Lucent and Microsoft commenced a strategic reseller and systems integration relationship to accelerate the worldwide availability of IPTV, and this successful relationship remains in place,” said Christine Heckart, general manager of marketing for Microsoft Mediaroom. “We are pleased to further enhance the Mediaroom technology ecosystem with the addition of deployment service companies HP, Tech Mahindra and 180Squared to support service providers scaling their differentiated connected TV services. Alcatel-Lucent has partnered with Microsoft on our largest Mediaroom IPTV deployments and remains our only end-to-end IPTV system integrator.”
With the help of these companies, Microsoft Mediaroom will continue to drive TV innovation worldwide. Fourteen service providers are commercially deploying Microsoft Mediaroom-powered services to offer advanced connected TV services to their customers. Microsoft Mediaroom-enabled advanced TV features include DVR Anywhere, which gives consumers the flexibility to watch recorded programs on any TV in their home, instant channel changing, and PC-to-TV photo and music sharing. The Microsoft Mediaroom platform, which reached 1 million subscriber homes in the first quarter of 2008, is now powering connected TV services on more than OH CHRIST MAKE IT STOP