BT customers will soon be able to access BT Vision services via an Xbox 360, as part of a joint venture with Microsoft.

As well as access to BT Vision’s standard, free service of Freeview channels the new deal will allow any BT Vision customer with an Xbox 360 to ablo be able to watch content, as well as using the Xbox Live social network, send text and voice messages and shop on the Xbox Live market place.

Existing Xbox 360 owners will be able to access the service after a simple registration to the service and allowing a simple firmware upgrade as the BT Vision service is based on the Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV platform.

BT must be hoping that this will bring more customers to it's BT Vision platform, since launching in late 2006 it has only attracted around 100,000 users despite a large advertising campaign, well short of the original target of two to three million customers.