CC Image courtesy of Digi-squad-blog.
Microsoft has announced it is to close its internet television service MSN TV at the end of September, saying there are now “many new ways” to access the net.
The service, which allows customers to check email and use chat services online, was originally named WebTV was purchased by Microsoft for US$425 million in 1997 and renamed MSN TV in 2001.
Microsoft, however, has decided to close the service given there are now other devices, including its own Xbox, in the market that connect internet and television.
The company said the service was originally created “with the goal to bring new people ‘online’ and to give those already online an easy, hassle-free means of accessing the internet from the comfort of their homes.
“Since then, the web has continued to evolve at a breathtaking pace, and there are many new ways to access the internet. Accordingly, we have made the difficult decision to end the MSN TV service on September 30th, 2013.”
