The British Broadcasting Corporation and Microsoft have signed a "memorandum of understanding" for developing the next generation of the corporation’s internet-based services for the world’s biggest public broadcaster.
The BBC chief Mark Thompson met Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and the director of new media, Ashley Highfield, in Seattle to sign the non-exclusive memorandum of understanding and discuss the BBC’s digital strategy.
A BBC statement said: "The memorandum of understanding will define the framework within which the companies can explore opportunities for the delivery and consumption of BBC content and the evolution of next-generation broadcasting.
The companies said they would examine plans for the BBC’s vast online archive, ways to share its programming and a radically re-invented BBC Web site in the form of Web 2.0 — the second generation of Internet-based services.
"Microsoft’s strength is in driving digital innovation and our vision is to open up rich, new consumer experiences that allow people to enjoy digital content anytime, anywhere and on any device," Gates said.
“This vision fits squarely with the BBC’s charter to lead the industry in delivering content that is compelling and accessible.”
Areas of potential collaboration include search and navigation, distribution and content enablement.
The BBC statement added: "Any actual procurements of new technology, or launch of new services by the BBC, would be subject to appropriate regulatory approval."
Mr. Thompson said: To ensure that the BBC is able to embrace the creative challenges of the digital future, we need to forge strategic partnerships with technology companies and distributors for the benefit of license payers.
“We are currently witnessing unprecedented rates of change in technology and audience expectations,” he said.
Mr. Highfield added: Microsoft is a key gateway to audiences that the BBC needs to reach through web services it runs like MSN and Windows Live Messenger, and hardware such as Xbox and the Windows Media Center.
Highfield said the BBC needed to work with as many companies as possible in this sector to ensure its programs and content are enjoyed by the widest possible audience, without always having to come to ‘bbc.co.uk’ to find it.
A spokeswoman for the BBC said Thompson and the BBC’s director of new media and technology, Ashley Highfield, was in the United States to meet several other technology companies.
The memorandum of understanding aims to identify areas of common interest between the BBC and Microsoft on which a strategic alliance could be developed.