July 21st, 2006
BULLETIN: Microsoft confirms Zune music player: will be iPod rival
The Wall Street Journal is reporting this, courtesy of a pickup from the next weekly issue of music industry bible Billboard magazine.
In an email statement sent to Billboard editors, Chris Stephenson, who is Microsoft’s company’s new general manager of marketing for MSN Entertainment Business,said the company sees the Zune-branded portable music player and an associated online service as "great opportunity to bring together technology and community to allow consumers to explore and discover music together."
Stephenson said the said the first device, as well as a companion online service, will launch this year.
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
