Microsoft, BBC Meet Free Content To Follow?

Microsoft and the BBC shook hands yesterday, but it was something of a soft, tentative handshake. Microsoft described a "nonexclusive memorandum of understanding" that both companies signed as "a step toward strengthening their working alliance." Despite this rather weak language, the meeting may have had important implications.

press release, "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." And while that could mean just about anything, a few specifics were mentioned in the last paragraph. "Areas of potential investigation and collaboration include search and navigation, distribution, and content enablement," according to the release. This, and other clues, implied that the document might have something to do with a proposal to provide free public access to the BBC archives. The BBC's Ashley Highfield is behind that Del.icio.us | Digg | Yahoo! My Web | Furl Bookmark murdok: Doug is a staff writer for murdok for the latest eBusiness news.