Echoes of the next Xbox, codenamed Durango, being a media destination appear to be coming true. Microsoft has announced that they’ve reached an agreement for Ericsson to purchase Mediaroom. This means that Ericsson will help Mediaroom, dubbed the number one IPTV platform for TV operators worldwide, while Microsoft uses the Xbox as its consumer TV platform.
All TV resources will now be routed to the Xbox, and Microsoft has plans to extend the premium entertainment services that it provides to smartphones, PCs and tablets as well. They will reportedly partner with “content creators, studios, labels, networks, content aggregators, operators and distributors” in the coming days.
Honestly, what else can you say? As tech blogger Paul Thurrott said earlier today, Microsoft isn’t worried about the hardcore gaming crowd – they’re looking at Roku and AppleTV as their main competition.
With the decision to devote all TV resources to the Xbox, they’re taking one step closer to capturing a significant market share in consumer TV.
