In addition to weighing in on the west coast with a new digital TV program, Microsoft made noise in the United Kingdom Monday when it said Webcasting host MediaWave Inc. has deployed 3,100 Windows 2000 servers across its content delivery network.

Revealed at MIDEM 2001, the international music market, the deployment represents one of the largest deployments of Windows Media Services in Europe, with the capacity to deliver floods of audio and video streams in Germany, France, The Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

For the software giant, the deal means it will further extend its streaming media tendrils around the globe, while MediaWave hopes to benefit from Microsoft's brand name and quality.

The name behind most broadcasts, much like Real Networks Inc. is in the U.S. MediaWave has grown rapidly over the past five years, delivering streamed audio and video for more than 1,000 events, company conferences and presentations broadcast on the Internet.

In related Midem 2001 news, managed services provider Madge.web Monday jumped into the digital music network service game.

Madge.web said it now allows all music providers -- artists, record labels, production companies, music venues, retailers -- to exploit digital content to the fullest. Madge.web provides a range of secure corporate and specialized Web hosting and infrastructure solutions such as digital encoding, secure data exchange, streaming, managed hosting, advertising, transaction support and digital rights management

The service is based upon Madge.web's Overnet network, a global infrastructure that bypasses the public. This network delivers speedy music content but also protects content providers from the service degradation and Web site outages frequently caused by system faults or fluctuations in demand.


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Microsoft Gets Ex-Streamly Cozy with U.K.'s MediaWave