Microsoft Partners with PPTV for Cloud-Based TV Streaming Service

In a press release this evening, Microsoft announced that it has partnered with Chinese web streaming video company PPTV to launch PPTV Asia TV Networks (ATN) as a new platform for streaming video in Microsoft’s Azure cloud service. The companies will also be considering further collaborations related to online TV and content distribution.

PPTV is one of China’s leading internet video players, but it has always been less web-based and more client-based than most of its competitors. In Microsoft, PPTV is getting a partner that could help it expand internationally and also one that offers a robust, reliable, and mature platform in Azure. In PPTV, Microsoft gets local expertise and an entry point into China’s internet video market.

It’s not entirely clear exactly what ATN is going to offer for users — the strategic agreement between the two companies was just signed today (pictured) and the service hasn’t launched yet. But it’s quite clear that Microsoft is working to make further inroads in China. Zhang Yaqin, Microsoft’s corporate VP and chairman of the company’s Asia-Pacific R&D, is quoted in the press release as saying:

Microsoft is making solid progress of bringing Windows Azure to China through collaboration with local partners. We are very pleased to see that Windows Azure enables PPTV to deliver a global online TV service platform. It’s a great example of how Microsoft supports China internet companies’ innovation, efficiency and sustainable growth in the global market.

But will ATN bring users to Microsoft’s Azure? We’ll have to wait and see. There doesn’t seem to be much ATN-related discussion on Sina Weibo just yet, but it’s definitely a bit early for users to be getting excited about something like this, so PPTV and Microsoft will be looking to build buzz as the platform moves toward an actual launch.