Microsoft to Launch Zune Brand Outside U.S. Next Year

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 16, 2009 - 12:22pm.

London - Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) plans to launch its Zune entertainment distribution brand outside the U.S. next year, the Financial Times reported.

The company this week will launch an instant on-demand movie streaming service for the Xbox 360, to be branded as Zune, and will extend that service into 18 international markets, including Australia, France, Germany and the U.K.

"This is a very important step for us to introduce Zune to new consumers around the world," Christine Heckart, general manager for TV, video and music marketing at Microsoft, told FT.

Microsoft first introduced its Zune portable media player in 2006, and added the Zune HD model in September, but the device has captured an estimated just 2% of the MP3 player market, compared to Apple's 73% -- according to NPD data.

http://www.zune.net