Microsoft and AT&T announced today a collaborative effort to use Microsoft PlayReady content access and protection technology to enable shared content across AT&T’s TV, broadband and wireless services. As part of this collaboration, Microsoft intends to add support for PlayReady into its Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV software platform, enabling access to PlayReady-based content through AT&T U-verse TV set-top boxes.

PlayReady is designed to enable digital entertainment services across devices and software applications, with a specific focus on meeting the needs of mobile and network operators, service providers and device manufacturers. PlayReady supports a broad range of business models that can be applied to almost any type of digital content and a wide range of formats. PlayReady also provides features such as service domains and embedded licenses specifically designed to make it easy for consumers to enjoy content on all their registered devices without the need of an active connection.