Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) received one more bit of good press out of Mediaroom before finally selling the IPTV platform to Ericsson (Nasdaq: ERIC). According to research developed by Multimedia Research Group's (MRG's) IPTV Market Leader Report, 2013, Microsoft "leads the world in two of six IPTV market categories" the researchers tracked.
MRG, in a press release, said that Microsoft is the only company to lead in more than one category on a global level. Of course one of the areas in which Microsoft was considered a winner was middleware and that's Mediaroom, so expect that one to be off the table when these rankings are gathered in 2014. The other Microsoft area of leadership: video-on-demand.
The press release was somewhat sparing of details since MRG wants to sell the report. It did state that the report features IPTV vendor rankings for categories that include access systems, video headend systems, VOD server software, set-top boxes, middleware and content protection/digital rights management. The data is also segmented by region.
"Many of the changes in the IPTV realm are happening in Eastern Europe as that region continues to grow and regional vendors benefit—thus the appearance of SmartLabs in the number one spots for VOD, set-tops and middleware (in Eastern Europe)," said Norm Bogen, MRG's research vice president in the news release.
Bogen further pointed out that Microsoft's dominance is in North America "due to its relationship with AT&T" and in Western Europe "where it has large IPTV providers as customers."
Other call-outs include CASTIS, which took the VOD lead in Asia and Anevia, which led VOD in the Middle East/Africa region.
The press release said that MRG tracked more than 100 vendors and 940 IPTV service providers in the report.
For more:
- MRG issued this press release
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