The BBC and Microsoft have signed a "memorandum of understanding" regarding the Beeb's next generation of internet-based services. BBC DG Mark Thompson and the Corporation's Director Of New Media flew out to Seattle to finalise the non-exclusive deal with Microsoft chief Bill Gates (who presumably couldn't afford to fly over to London, not having access to all that licence fee money).
In a statement, the Beeb told reporters: "The memorandum of understanding will define the framework within which the companies can explore opportunities for the delivery and consumption of BBC content and the evolution of next-generation broadcasting. This includes plans for its online archive, for a radically reinvented website in the web 2.0 world - a second generation of internet-based services - and for ways to share its online content in the future".
Thompson added: "To ensure that the BBC is able to embrace the creative challenges of the digital future, we need to forge strategic partnerships with technology companies and distributors for the benefit of licence payers."
Few specifics of how the companies plan to work together were included in the statement, which added: "Any actual procurements of new technology, or launch of new services by the BBC, would be subject to appropriate regulatory approval". Though presumably the closer relationships between the Corporation and Microsoft will mean that those BBC multi-media services currently only available in Real format will go online in a Windows format too at some point.