Liberate to Supply Interactive Software to Star TV

Liberate Technologies, a developer of software for Internet-linked appliances, today will announce a licensing deal to supply interactive software to cable provider Star TV in Hong Kong. Liberate’s software lets users shop, surf the Web and send e-mail via their TV sets. Star TV, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., is a leading cable provider in Asia and could represent a significant beachhead there for San Carlos, Calif.-based Liberate--an offshoot of Oracle Corp. and Netscape Communications. The software will be tested between now and February, with full deployment expected in the first quarter of 2000. “Liberate is in the lead now” in the race to sign up cable providers for interactive services, said Mike Kwatinetz, a New York-based analyst with investment bank CS First Boston. “They need to do deals like this to sustain their lead.” Liberate shares dropped $6.69, closing at $151.25 on Nasdaq.