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US software giant Microsoft agreed Tuesday to set up a joint venture
with two South Korean firms for a foray into the country's nascent
Internet TV market, officials said.
The deal reached here involves Microsoft, South
Korea's second-largest portal Daum Communications Corp and local
set-top box maker Celrun, said Daum spokeswoman Park Hyun-Jung.
Daum will provide content and know-how, while
Microsoft agreed to offer its own Internet-protocol TV (IPTV)
solutions and focus on overseas marketing, she said. Celrun will
provide equipment.
Internet TV allows viewers with a broadband
connection to choose content as well as receive live programming.
South Korea, despite being one of the world's
most wired societies, has been relatively slow to introduce it
because of disagreements between the broadcasting and communications
industries.
"The deal is part of our preparations to
launch the IPTV service following the recent passage of a related
bill in parliament," Park told AFP.
The bill would allow customers to watch video on
demand (VOD) this year, as well as real-time programming including
sports, dramas and news from next year.
"We aim to start the VOD service in the
second quarter of this year when the joint venture is formally
launched," Park said.
"We are also ready to provide real-time
broadcasting if we acquire a licence from the government."
Daum is the third company to enter the country's
IPTV market to offer VOD. Hanarotelecom, a fixed-line Internet
operator, is the leader in the VOD Internet TV industry, followed by
local giant KT Corp.
"The IPTV market, which absorbed about 1.1
million domestic clients last year, is growing fast. We predict
there will be 16 million local clients by 2011," Park said.
-- AFP
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