EC ends Microsoft iTV inquiry

LONDON (Brand Republic) - The European Commission has closed its investigation into Microsoft’s investments in European digital cable operators, such as NTL and UPC.

The Commission said that Microsoft had agreed to change its relationship with the operators, and that it was taking no action against the software giant.

The investigation focused on the creation of “technology boards”, which had a joint Microsoft-NTL or Microsoft-UPC membership. Microsoft could have used its power on these boards to influence the two companies’ choice of software for set-top boxes.

In response to the Commission’s concerns, Microsoft agreed to ditch one of the technology boards and turn the other into a forum which is open to competing suppliers of set-top box technology.

Microsoft’s interactive TV software competes with software from Liberate and OpenTV. The company’s attempts to gain a strong foothold in the market have so far failed, and delays in its software production have meant that several operators have switched to other technology.

www.microsoft.com

www.NTL.com

www.UPC.nl

This article was first published on brandrepublic.com