Microsoft Mediaroom First to Bring Virtualization to IPTV

Introduction of Mediaroom with virtualization delivers up to sixfold reduction
in server hardware; it now also provides an ideal platform for small
deployments and reduces operator costs to launch and grow IPTV services.

REDMOND, Wash., May 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. today
launched Microsoft Mediaroom with virtualization, making Mediaroom the first
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) platform to offer virtualization support.
Mediaroom with virtualization can deliver up to a sixfold reduction in the
number of physical servers required to support a full-featured IPTV service,
significantly reducing hardware and management costs and speeding time to
market for Mediaroom customers by up to three weeks.

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Mediaroom with virtualization is designed to provide a cost-effective yet
full-featured IPTV platform for smaller operators, for operators launching new
services as they scale their subscriber base, and for operators who want to
extend an existing service into new markets to serve lower-density
communities.

With virtualization support, it is possible to deploy and operate a full
Mediaroom-powered TV service for up to 30,000 subscriber homes per market
using fewer than 10 physical servers. Even for deployments of greater than
30,000 subscriber homes, a mix of virtualized and dedicated servers can still
provide efficiency benefits.

"Reservation Telephone Cooperative prides itself on delivering a full range of
advanced voice, data and TV services to our highly distributed community of
just under 10,000 customers in North Dakota," said Royce Aslakson, CEO of RTC.
"By adding virtualization support, Microsoft Mediaroom is making the promise
of converged entertainment services approachable without the cost and
compromise inherent in more piecemeal solutions. The opportunity to sprint
ahead of traditional TV services is now within our reach."

Mediaroom with virtualization offers the full functionality of Microsoft's
award-winning IPTV platform including video on demand, DVR Anywhere for
viewing and managing recorded shows in any room, and Mediaroom Anytime for
viewing of previously aired programs or restarting currently airing shows
without any preplanning or prior digital video recording. Other capabilities
include high-definition video for live and on-demand content, multiview,
instant channel zapping, and TV applications that support rich interactivity
and seamless blending of Web content and services with broadcast TV. A full
lineup of Mediaroom features is available at
http://www.microsoft.com/Mediaroom/Features.aspx.

"Mediaroom with virtualization provides the industry's lowest platform
footprint for deploying a full IPTV service," said Andreas Mueller-Schubert,
general manager for the TV, Video and Music Business at Microsoft. "Given the
pressures of today's economic environment, the reduction in capital
expenditure and ongoing efficiencies make Mediaroom with virtualization an
attractive proposition for operators of all sizes as they launch and grow
their IPTV businesses."

"As IPTV becomes more mainstream, the industry must find a way to lower
deployment costs. Mediaroom with virtualization does just that by reducing the
overall number of servers that need to be deployed," said Vince Vittore,
principal analyst at Yankee Group Research Inc. "This development comes at a
time when consumers are demanding the ability to access their content
regardless of location or device. Mediaroom with virtualization gives service
providers of all shapes and sizes a chance to fulfill this demand."

To power virtualization in Mediaroom, Microsoft is using Windows Server 2008
Hyper-V, Microsoft's hypervisor-based server virtualization technology.
Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V enables multiple virtual servers to be hosted on
the same physical server. Virtual servers share the physical server's
resources, such as memory, disk access and CPU cycles. Sharing these resources
efficiently can result in a dramatic reduction in the number of physical
servers that are needed to deliver services.

Additional Resources
-- Microsoft Mediaroom home page and demo reel:
http://www.microsoft.com/Mediaroom

-- Mediaroom image library and fact sheets:
http://www.microsoft.com/Mediaroom/Press.aspx

About Microsoft Mediaroom
The award-winning Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and
multimedia software platform is the most widely deployed IPTV platform in the
world. Mediaroom is driving the future of television by enabling broadband
service providers to deliver new connected TV and entertainment experiences to
consumers worldwide. It provides new ways for consumers to experience TV as
part of their connected, digital lifestyle, while also creating new business
opportunities for broadband service providers, hardware manufacturers, content
creators, advertisers and application developers. Over 20 of the world's
leading service providers across four continents have selected the Mediaroom
platform to drive their digital TV services. More information on Mediaroom and
the opportunity to deliver the best in TV plus all your media in one place is
available at http://www.microsoft.com/Mediaroom.

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.

Weber Shandwick, +1-425-452-5400, mstv@webershandwick.com, for Microsoft
Corp.