Microsoft’s Japanese Venture To Develop Broadband Content Service

Through a rather mundane release, got to know of an interesting detail which I hadn’t heard about before: Microsoft has formed a premium broadband-content delivery and services company in a joint venture with Japanese Internet technology company Trans Cosmos. The new Japanese company, called CODE, will focus on three core business areas: distribution of paid-for broadband content; aggregation and wholesaling of paid-for broadband content; and marketing support for broadband content sales. CODE was established on November 10, 2003, and is capitalized at 220 million Yen, with Transcosmos contributing 90%; and Microsoft, 10%.

CODE has now licensed technology from CinemaNow, the online movie delivery site in U.S…CinemaNow’s PatchBay technology will manage CODE’s transactional, on-demand initiatives including digital and territorial rights protection, user profiling, comprehensive pay-per-view and subscription services, and detailed report generation, according to the release.

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