Microsoft and thePlatform Enable Delivery of Protected, High-Quality, Premium Online Video

REDMOND, Wash. and SEATTLE, April 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. and thePlatform today announced that the companies have integrated Microsoft's leading digital media technologies, including Microsoft PlayReady and Internet Information Services (IIS) Smooth Streaming, into thePlatform's mpx video management system. With this integration, premium video providers can deliver protected, high-definition (HD) Web video for both in-home and remote viewing experiences. The solution provides full offline and streaming capabilities across a broad ecosystem of devices spanning Windows-based PCs and Macs.

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"Media companies and TV service providers are seeking protected, scalable, cross-platform solutions for publishing premium video," said Marty Roberts, vice president of sales and marketing at thePlatform. "We're very proud to work with Microsoft, which has established itself as a leader in the delivery of smooth, high-quality streaming and advanced content protection. Together, our integrated solution can offer our mutual customers a robust, high-quality viewing experience for their viewers around the world."

"thePlatform is one of the leading online video management and publishing companies, and it offers us the ability to extend the reach of Microsoft technology to more network operators and content creators," said Austen Mulinder, corporate vice president, Communications Sector at Microsoft. "At Microsoft, we seek out relationships with companies such as thePlatform to create opportunities for media and entertainment companies to innovate, differentiate and create new revenue streams and experiences across the PC, TV, phone and beyond."

Bringing HD Media Experiences Online

By implementing IIS Smooth Streaming, a feature of IIS Media Services, thePlatform's customers can present optimal experiences based on available network bandwidth and device capabilities. IIS Smooth Streaming is a form of dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP for delivering live and on-demand content that adjusts video quality automatically and scales massively on content distribution networks. It provides a high-quality viewing experience, which can lead to longer engagement times and makes possible the delivery of full HD 1080p media experiences. thePlatform is also using Transform Manager, which is a server-side transformation engine built into IIS Media Services, to streamline production workflow for content companies by enabling solutions such as encoding once and simultaneously delivering multiple formats.

Microsoft PlayReady DRM Technology Enables Seamless Access to Premium Content

Microsoft PlayReady technology is widely supported in the industry and draws on the experience gained from more than a decade of investment that Microsoft has made in the development of digital rights management (DRM) technology. By offering Microsoft PlayReady, thePlatform offers content protection technology for publishers on Windows-based PCs and Macs. thePlatform's support of Microsoft PlayReady underscores its benefits as a flexible, reliable and scalable content protection technology.

Comcast's Xfinity TV Online Adopts thePlatform and Microsoft Technology

Comcast Interactive Media LLC is the first company to combine Microsoft PlayReady and IIS Smooth Streaming technology with thePlatform's video management services, as part of Comcast's Xfinity® TV service, which is available online through the company's popular Xfinity TV app. The technologies are integrated as part of the On Demand video streaming feature on the iPad.

"We're always looking at technologies that will help us deliver high-quality, premium video to a broad range of IP-connected devices," said Charlie Herrin, senior vice president of product development and technology for Comcast Interactive Media. "This new, integrated solution from Microsoft and thePlatform supports our ongoing efforts to deliver great entertainment experiences for our customers on all screens and devices."

Additional information about thePlatform is available at http://www.thePlatform.com. Additional information about Microsoft is available at http://www.microsoft.com.

About thePlatform

thePlatform™ is the leading white-label video management and publishing company. Media companies rely on thePlatform as their open, central hub for managing, monetizing, and syndicating billions of professionally produced video views annually. The company's services provide unmatched versatility for designing and supporting video businesses on PCs, mobile, and TV. Customers include: Cablevision, Canwest, CBC, Comcast, Corus Entertainment, Cox Communications, ExerciseTV, HIT Entertainment, NBC Local Media, Outdoor Channel, PBS, PBS KIDS Sprout, Rogers, Sony BMG, Starz Play, Time Warner Cable, Travel Channel Media, truTV and numerous others. With a 10-year history of service, thePlatform is an independent subsidiary of Comcast based in Seattle, Wash. For more information: www.thePlatform.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.