“We believe Microsoft PlayReady technology will accelerate deployment this year of many services that carriers see as important for the next generation of wireless communications,” said Jim Ryan, vice president of data services at Cingular Wireless, now the new AT&T. “Microsoft’s digital media expertise and its balance between the needs of the carriers and the interest of consumers is a very positive step for the delivery of mobile entertainment.”

“Microsoft PlayReady technology will help accelerate deployment of our entertainment services, which we see growing in importance for consumers this year,” said Russ Shaw, director of Capability and Innovation at O2 UK. “Protecting content while keeping it easily accessible by consumers is a careful balance, and Microsoft’s digital media expertise and experience is critical to making this a reality.”

“We have thoroughly compared different DRM solutions that are offered in the market and decided to select Microsoft PlayReady technology for our next-generation mobile music services,” said Benoît Louvet, director of New Products and Services, Bouygues Telecom. “Microsoft PlayReady uniquely enables us to support a multitude of business scenarios targeting both the mobile phone and the end user’s PC.”

“Working closely with Microsoft has provided us with an advantage in the marketplace over the years, and added significantly to our customers’ experience in the multimedia world,” said Jim Straight, Verizon Wireless vice president of data services. “Microsoft PlayReady technology will help us usher in a new era of mobile digital media in a seamless, flexible manner that our consumers demand.”

“With the rapid growth of mobile content services, Microsoft PlayReady technology will quickly emerge as a mission-critical ingredient for new consumer applications because it combines greater flexibility for content and services with a rock-solid technology foundation,” said James C. Brailean, Ph.D., chief operating officer of PacketVideo. “Microsoft PlayReady will have an immediate positive impact on the mobile entertainment market. PacketVideo is partnering closely with Microsoft to include optimized implementations in our industry-leading media client applications for popular handset platforms so that operators and manufacturers can get to market quickly and cost-effectively.”

via Microsoft