(7 January 2008 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: At the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and Microsoft President of the Entertainment & Devices Division Robbie Bach unveiled several new entertainment services and partnerships.

These included new deals with Disney-ABC Television Group, NBC Universal and
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM), that demonstrate how software is improving people's ability to connect with their favorite content and
communities through new and expanded forms of entertainment experiences.

In his 11th Ces opening keynote address, Gates looked at the sweeping changes since 2001 that have created the first true Digital Decade,
including the continued expansion of the popularity of Windows-based PCs, the growing prevalence of broadband networks, the spread of mobile phones and the advent of portable digital media devices.

"Since I first started talking about the Digital Decade in 2001, the speed with which digital technology has become central to the way we work, learn and play has been amazing. But in many ways, we are at the very beginning of the transformation that software will enable. During
the next Digital Decade, technology will make our lives richer, more connected, more productive and more fulfilling in profound and exciting ways."

Gates went on to outline his vision for the next Digital Decade - an era in which dramatic advances in hardware and software will make the power of computing a ubiquitous part of day-to-day life. Gates referenced how
natural user interfaces will more closely reflect the way people interact with each other. High-definition experiences will be nearly everywhere.

Services-connected devices running on the Web and huge amounts of storage accessible via the Internet will mean that information and capabilities people want will be available instantly and seamlessly, no matter where
they are.

Partnership With NBC Universal for the First 'Long-Tail' Olympics : NBC Universal and Microsoft are looking raise the bar for
live and on-demand Internet broadcasting through an exclusive agreement where Microsoft and NBC will deliver NBCOlympics.com on MSN, the official
U.S. online home of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In the first 'long-tail' Olympics, online viewers will have access to more than 3,000 hours of live and on-demand content so they can watch their favourite athlete or sport, regardless of whether the sport has seven fans or seven million.

NBCOlympics.com on MSN will be available free and powered by Microsoft Silverlight technology, a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering high-quality video experiences on the Web.

ABC, Disney Programmes Join Xbox Live Video Lineup; MGM Brings library of films to Xbox Live: Shows from ABC Television and Disney will join the Xbox Live programming available for download directly to the Xbox 360 console. In addition, MGM will bring its library of movies.

Under the agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group, later this month, all US. Xbox Live members will begin to have access to select TV shows and movies from the ABC Television Network, ABC Family, ABC News, Disney Channel and Toon Disney as part of an agreement with Disney-ABC Television
Group. More than 500 hours of content, in both standard definition and high definition when available, will be offered including the shows Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives. Past and current ABC shows will be available on demand, with new episodes arriving on the service the day after they air on television.

Under the agreement with MGM, Xbox 360 will offer MGM's movie library on demand for Xbox 360 including such titles as Rocky, Terminator, Legally Blonde, Silence of the Lambs and Barbershop. United Artists, an MGM sister company, will also make select films available on demand.

With more than 10 million Xbox Live members and more than 3,500 hours of premium content, Xbox 360 has established itself as a premier platform for on-demand TV shows and movies, including impressive high definition
experiences, for TV.

Bach says, "Xbox Live Marketplace is the destination for high-definition movies,
TV shows and music videos. And, with the new Disney-ABC and MGM partnerships, we are bringing even more compelling high-definition
content to people through their Xbox 360."

Xbox 360 on Track to Register Biggest Year in Video Game History: According to Bach, the continuing success of Xbox is another indication of the power of digital technology to transform the way people access and
experience entertainment of all kinds. Sales of 17.7 million consoles this holiday season surpassed original expectations and put Xbox 360 on track to register the biggest year in video game history as U.S. consumers spent
more on the Xbox 360 platform in 2007 than on any other gaming platform.

"With its continued momentum in games, accessories and digital entertainment via our leading online service Xbox Live, and record-setting games and accessory attach rates, evidence is everywhere that Xbox 360 is
thriving," Bach said.

Windows Vista Hits 100 Million Licenses; Shows Latest "Fashion" PCs : Gates talked about the ngoing transformation of the personal computer and he shared sales figures for Windows Vista that indicate that the PC and the Windows platform remains a central catalyst
for the advances of the Digital Decade. According to Gates, the company has
sold more than 100 million Windows Vista licenses to date.

"For more than 25 years, Windows has unlocked the power of personal computing. Now we are expanding Windows to go where you want
to go and do what you want to do on PCs, the Web and mobile devices. The result is connected experiences that extend across people's lives, interests and communities, at home and at work."

In addition to technology advances that continue to make PCs more powerful, more portable and more affordable, there is a growing emphasis on style. Independent research firm Forrester Research has predicted that the period between now and 2012 will be the "Age of Style" for the consumer PC industry, with "strategists and marketers weaving design concerns into their thinking about every facet of their company's strategies as style and
design becomes a critical brand attribute."

Other announcements highlight the ongoing impact that digital technology and software plus services are having on the way people
experience television. Showtime Networks and Turner Broadcasting System's TNT and CNN networks all introduced new TV applications
capable of delivering the most advanced digital TV services on the Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) platform, which is
enabling over 20 broadband service providers to
deliver advanced digital TV services.

Examples of innovative new television experiences include the ability to view Nascar Sprint Cup Series races from the driver's vantage point by choosing from a series of in-car cameras on broadcasts by TNT; to watch
boxing matches by selecting different camera angles and audio feeds on Showtime; and to access CNN.com's 2008 presidential election coverage while watching CNN's television broadcast.