Microsoft is moving closer to dominating the IPTV content management sector, according to a new report by MRG. Although broadcast-focused vendors are leading in all areas of IPTV development, the Redmond giant could leverage its DRM (digital rights management), middleware, and VOD (Video on Demand) expertise to command the market.

"Microsoft is poised to dominate the North American IP TV market," states Bob Larribeau, MRG Analyst. "In part, this depends on service providers deploying Microsoft's VOD, content protection and DRM software, in addition to its middleware solutions."

This and other IPTV developments can be found in the just-released "IP TV Market Leaders Report -- August 2005," a member publication of MRG's IPTV Tracking Service.

The report also explains how IP TV deployments are creating new opportunities for Lucent, ECI, Huawei, and others to establish strong positions in the broadband access market, due to their ability to support the bandwidth requirements of video services. It also describes how companies with strong positions in the cable industry, such as Motorola, Scientific-Atlanta, ADB, and SeaChange, are now starting to shoulder the IP TV startups aside in the race to serve the large service providers such as SBC, BellSouth, and Verizon.

It also measures the size of the worldwide IP TV Video Headend market through counting deployed channels, thereby providing the best assessment of this industry to date. Deployments by smaller, independent U.S. telcos are dominating this market, helping companies like Tut Systems, Minerva, and Skystream maintain their market positions.

The report ranks the market leaders and emerging companies for all IP TV industry sectors. Firms are ranked within each of the following areas: Access Systems, Video Headend, Video On Demand Server, Set-top Box, Middleware, and Content Protection. All rankings are categorized by region: Asia, Europe, North America, and Rest of World.

"IP TV Market Leaders Report -- August 2005" is a 37-page report that is available as a departmental PDF license for $3,040.00; a Departmental PDF license for $3,995.00; or a free copy is available as part of MRG's IPTV Tracking Service. For more information or to order the report, contact Rob Smith at 408-524-9767 or rsmith@mrgco.com, or visit www.mrgco.com.