AMD, Crestron, HP, Intel, Lifeware, Microsoft and Niveus Media have founded the Media Center Integrator Alliance (MCIA) to "provide both integrators and manufacturers with best practices and training for technologies using Media Center."

Perhaps Windows Media Center hasn't been the runaway mass-market success that Microsoft and partners had intended. Now the key players are turning to the channel – the folks that can provide the best experience from the myriad Media Center services that consumers don't tend to know about.

The Alliance, which launches during the CEDIA Expo 2008, has four key missions, according to Microsoft's Kevin Collins, chairman of the board and president of MCIA:

• Drive awareness of Media Center
• Document best practices for installation, integration, and more
• Train installers on Media Center "from soup to nuts"
• Institute some kind of certification program

Since MCIA is new, the group hasn't hashed out specific plans. Working groups to address publicity, training, documentation and certification will form after CEDIA.

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Posted by Julie Jacobson on 09/03 at 09:36 AM
News, Business Resources, Associations, Certification, Media Center, CEDIA, Permalink