April 28th, 2008
Microsoft lands Democratic National Convention, ties Google in convention race
Microsoft said Monday that it will be the official software and “HD Web content provider” for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. For those of you keeping score at home, Google announced a deal to be the official “innovation provider” for the Republican National Convention in February.
For Microsoft’s part, the software giant said in a statement that the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) picked it to “create a technically flawless event and engage more people in the Convention experience using cutting-edge technology.”
An excerpt from the statement:
A cornerstone of the DNCC’s technologically-savvy event will be the delegate voting system. During the nomination process, Microsoft technology will support a voting system that will provide up-to-the-minute delegate vote totals electronically to the Office of the Secretary of the Democratic National Committee, allowing timely reporting of vote tallies as compiled by each delegation’s Chair.
The DNCC will utilize Microsoft software to support the delegate tracking system to gather and manage a multitude of information about Convention participants. In addition, Microsoft technology will support the creation of a software platform to support the DNCC’s credentialing operation, facilitating the management and distribution of credentials for the event.
And in a first for a political Convention, Silverlight, Microsoft’s platform for interactive Web applications and HD video, in conjunction with the Level 3 Communications network, will bring live, gavel-to-gavel Convention video coverage of the highest quality to a worldwide audience via the DNCC’s Web site at DemConvention.com.
See a Silverlight pattern here? Find big event. Show off Silverlight. Get downloads. That’s Microsoft’s Olympic strategy and perhaps the Democratic convention will get the software giant a few more downloads.
Google has already landed the GOP convention. “As Official Innovation Provider, Google will enhance the GOP’s online presence with new applications, search tools, and interactive video. In addition, Google will help generate buzz and excitement in advance of the convention through its proven online marketing techniques,” said the company at the time.
Add it up and it’s Microsoft 1, Google 1 in the convention game. Think the Libertarian convention will be the tiebreaker?
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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