Oracle Corp’s Network Computer Inc has already signed up to use Intel Corp’s Intercast technology as part of its TV Navigator and DTV Navigator software (CI No 3,323), but ZDNN believes that there’s a wider collaboration going on between the two firms and Microsoft Corp, aimed at agreeing standards for the cable delivery of interactive content. Such a deal would involve Intercast, NCI’s Enhanced TV and Microsoft’s WebTV technology in some combination. Intel’s Intercast has previously been pitched as an alternative to WebTV’s WebPIP software. Other cable and computer companies are said to be involved in the negotiations. The effort, called the Common Content Framework, must also take into account standards currently being finalized by the OpenCable initiative being worked on by the cable industry’s standards body, Cablelabs.
