Communications

Reliance Communications and Microsoft to deliver IPTV in India

6 November 2007

Reliance Communications and Microsoft have announced a strategic partnership to deliver a personalised TV experience to consumers in India, through Reliance's Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service, which will be powered by the Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV software platform.

The announcement was made by Anil D Ambani, chairman of Reliance Communications, and Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft, during a press event in Mumbai. Reliance Communications will hold the exclusive deployment right for the platform in India.

The new service will feature several advanced features, such as video on demand, digital video recording, instant channel changing, and personal media sharing. IPTV subscribers will be able to watch popular standard definition content as well as high-definition content ? for the first time in India. The service launch is aimed for March 2008.

"As consumers today are becoming more sophisticated, they are demanding more compelling and personalised entertainment to suit their individual needs and preferences," Ambani said. "Until now, TV has been a broadcast as a 'one-size-fits-all' experience. Backed by powerful Microsoft Mediaroom software, IPTV promises to offer our subscribers more choice, control and convenience, and at the end of the day, a unique and more satisfying user experience."

"Reliance is about to change the way consumers experience television," Ballmer said. "TV is the only major digital device that has been left out of the networking revolution, and Microsoft and Reliance are now making the TV a first-class citizen in the connected entertainment landscape. By connecting the TV to an intelligent two-way network and adding powerful software, new connected and personalised experiences will become possible here in India."