You are here: silicon.com > Networks > WebWatch

Microsoft tunes in to interactive TV

No home should be without a Bill-in-the-box...

By Chris Holbrook

Published: 7 June 2001 18:20 BST

Portuguese cable firm TV Cabo has today become the first company in the world to deploy advanced set-top boxes running Microsoft interactive television software.

After months of setbacks, the US software giant will provide Cabo viewers with email, home shopping, internet access and online banking facilities over a broadband modem.

The interactive television software was originally set for release last autumn through United Pan-Europe Communications, but Microsoft missed the target date.

After investing $5bn in AT&T two years ago as part of a strategy to build around 7.5 million set-top boxes, Microsoft is pinning its hopes on interactive television as an alternative source of revenue to the relatively slow-growing PC market.

Analyst house Ovum predicts the revenue from sales made over interactive television will grow from about $58m last year to $44.8bn by 2006.

Add comment

Print story with

Email story

First Choice pumps £10m into interactive TV

Microsoft to launch Windows OS for digital TV

PC sales - down: Microsoft support costs - up

Java Technologies for Interactive Television

Developing Interactive Television Applications Using the Java TV API

In silicon.com

Read and write about internet access at the airports of the world at atlarge.com. Be the first to rate an airport, win champagne...

Commentary

Peter Cochrane Peter Cochrane's Blog: Autosync, at last Now we just need it to meld with remote control…

Steve Ranger Editor's Blog: Why we write about the iPhone Is it just because it's so shiny?

Latest News

Telegraph spreads the news on Google Apps

Malware-infected site detected every five seconds

Flight booking checks into mobiles

Domino's online sales pass 20 per cent

Online retail takes 20p of the shopper's pound

Microsoft readies online apps for business

Jobs

Transmission Controller

Our refreshing and imaginative approach has changed the face of UK television, making us one of the worlds largest broadcasters. Your key ...

Business Analyst

Our refreshing and imaginative approach has changed the face of UK television, making us one of the world's largest broadcasters. Our refreshing and ...

Integration Engineer

At Sky it's the heart of everything that we do, and its how we have become a global leader in digital television. Design Advanced Product Design ...

Special Report Focus

CIO50 2008
The silicon.com CIO50 2008 profiles the most influential and innovative tech chiefs in the UK across all industries and organisation size, from the biggest FTSE100 companies to high growth dot-com start ups and the public sector. The list was voted on by the UK CIO community and a panel of experts. Find out more in our latest special report.