Microsoft Zune will go the Apple way

Barcelona - Yesterday Microsoft officially confirmed that its Zune project will base on an own exclusive online shop. Third party download services complying to MS PlaysForSure standard will be ignored. Indeed the Zune player comes along with an import possibilty, though this interface accepts only uncopyrighted material. In short, MS does it Apple-like.

According to Financial Times Deutschland Microsoft International CEO Jean-Philippe Courtois, responsible for all MS activities outside US and Canada, confirmed that content offer will only aim on Microsoft's own MP3 player. "By this gadget we decided to set up an integrated offer,", explained Courtois. So far MS cautiously mentioned information regarding Zune's compatibility to the PlaysForSure standard.

Though Microsoft adheres to the PlaysForSure certificate, which shall guarantee an unobstructed handling of Zune while basically sticking to copyrights. Regarding PlaysForSure Courtois said "we have worked on an open model for a very long time. And this will go on." In the past several of Redmond's partners (f.e. Napster) complained about Microsoft's uncertainty in terms of a precise PlaysForSure's strategy. Zune shall hit the US market in November 2006, Europe and other regions will follow in 2006.