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BBC embraces industry for web 2.0 BBC director of new media Ashley Highfield pledged that the publicly funded corporation will work more closely with the commercial sector, as he took to the stage with Microsoft boss Bill Gates in Las Vegas yesterday. Highfield was the BBC's representative at the Microsoft-organised Mix06 conference, lining up alongside those from the likes of MySpace, Amazon and eBay. The BBC has been criticised in the past for allowing its new media operations to sprawl unchecked across the commercial sector, nipping competition in the bud, but Highfield signaled a shift yesterday.  "We have a duty of universality," he said, "so it's vital that we innovate through a number of strategic partnerships with technology companies and distributors such as Microsoft, Apple, Sony, Homechoice, NTL and Telewest."The attitude of increased openness has, however, come under some duress. An independent report commissioned by the UK government censured the corporation in 2004 for allowing its online operation to stray beyond its public service remit. Similar fears surround a new integrated media player (iMP) currently in development, an online console allowing consumers to catch up on programmes from the past week. The BBC confirmed today, however, that this tool will be subject to the new public value test that will be applied to all new BBC services under the proposed terms of its new charter, published last week. "Audience needs are changing – they want to consume media on their terms, anytime, anyplace, anyhow," said Highfield. "If we want to stay relevant in the digital age, the BBC must respond to this challenge with some seriously good technological innovation, resulting in products like iMP, through partnerships such as this one with Microsoft." Together with Gates, Highfield unveiled a prototype of iMP optimised for use on the new Microsoft Vista operating system, with the aim of offering users a vision of "web 2.0," the next-generation internet. "As the internet becomes an increasingly powerful way for companies to interact with customers, software and services provide almost unlimited opportunities to extend these interactions," said Gates. Jonathan Webdale 21 Mar 2006 © C21 Media 2006 
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