Commentary: BBC web site to be "re-invented" says Ashley Highfield

March 21

When the BBC innovates, the rest of the digital broadcast industry takes note.

So when the world's leading Digital Broadcaster, says it is to redesign its web site for the era of video-on demand radio and TV programming, and personalized web services, you can accept it is a major leap forward.

The BBC is to make available much of its program output for download within 7 days after the first public broadcast. This it will achieve using its own, BBC Integrated Media Player (iMP).

Ashley Highfield, director of the BBC's new media division made the major pronouncement on stage in Las Vegas at the Microsoft Mix06 conference forum in which Microsoft boss, Bill Gates presided.

The hype surrounding the launch of the iMP relates to its built-in peer-to-peer technology for streaming BBC content on the Internet.

The timing also signals BBC non-exclusive willingness to cooperate with Microsoft in the development of new technologies. The likes of Apple, Sony, Homechoice, NTL and Telewest were also named in other possible partnership models. Seamless delivery of media from domestic PCs to TV sets at home was "the last 10 yards of railtrack" currently under development, Highfield added.

Also present in the forum were invited representatives from web pioneers Amazon, eBay and MySpace (now in the News Corporation camp).

Sometimes the BBC is regarded as a slowcoach, when more maverick competitors like CNN seem to spurt ahead. But as always the BBC takes the considered and long lasting approach to technology innovation to the benefit to all.

If, in today's new media business model "content is king", then "content delivery" runs in parallel, if we heed what the Microsoft Mix0 is all about!

[Watch developments over the next 12 months with these companies named here. Bill Gates said they are among those "transforming" the way customers interact with businesses online and use the internet in their daily lives.- Editor]