Microsoft is planning to bring its set-top box solutions to India to cash in on the internet boom that is spreading through television.

The company is eyeing the Indian market with its internet-related solution called WebTV - a set of specifications for hardware and software for set-top boxes. Says Meena Ganesh, director, Microsoft, "we will be talking to appropriate vendors/partners in India to explore the possibility of bringing this technology to India."

Microsoft has an array of solutions in internet-related areas. It provides end-to-end solution (Microsoft Commercial Internet System) to internet service providers and internet content providers for setting up and managing their internet, content and commerce services.

Microsoft also provides solutions to corporate customers for setting up intranets, extranets and commerce sites (Microsoft Site Server Commerce). It also has a whole suite of tools for Web applications and content developers such as Front Page and Visual Studio.

For Net users in the home segment, the company has come out with improved browser, Internet Explorer 5.0. "This browser has especially been created keeping the home user in mind as there are a lot of features in this which help the home user to maximise his internet experience in terms of significantly improved search engines, usability features, auto complete features etc," Ganesh said.

Microsoft is working with a number of ISPs and cable companies for providing its technology and platform for the services that they provide. This in effect will improve the content provided to home users.

The concept of WebTV is well known abroad. "This $350 a piece set-top box puts the World Wide Web pages on your TV screen and makes them accessible via a simple remote control. It also makes getting on the Web easy and cheap," says an Web-related business expert, Nitin Komawar.

The systems can be explained as a simple box that sits atop the TV and can be installed in under half an hour and permits one to navigate the Web, from the comfort of your couch.

The technology has gained the support of electronics giants Sony and Philips, which should have their own branded versions of the WebTV box in retail stores soon.

Komawar, who is also the chief executive of Plexus Technologies, describes the technology as a new way to navigate. "Send and receive e-mail with anyone who has an e-mail address. The WebTV service provides e-mail accounts with each subscription. You can have a private e-mail address. You can also join discussion groups and chat with people who share your interests, from glassblowing to scuba diving, or world politics to the global markets."

Surely, the simplicity and ease have found some appeal. "Currently, WebTV-based internet units and the WebTV Network service are available only in the US, Canada and Japan. With WebTV, one can explore the internet right through your television. Without leaving the living room, you can plan trips, shop online, or check out the latest news on the internet. There is nothing as simple, affordable, and easy as WebTV, " Komawar says.

There are minor drawbacks - you can't do basics like saving, printing or gathering information. "You can send and receive e-mail via simple built-in software, which may ultimately prove the most valuable aspect of WebTV - a lifelink to the wired world for folks who, by income, interest or personality, will never choose to buy a PC," Komawar says.

Worldwide, products by Sony, Philips Magnavox, and Bandai Digital Entertainment are available in stores while those like Zenith NetVision and Samsung's internet TV have been delayed.

Importantly, consumers can have problems with the Web's slow pace, and with the quality of display. "But I think with the whole industry moving towards media convergence, it will be ultimately an interactive world," Komawar says.However, success will depend on the need for a medium to entertain and be useful at the same time. Here the Web TV can score over others. And if the cable operators can provide the right backbone, then WebTV can be a great success.