Netflix made a smart move and hired the developer of the MyNetflix Vista MediaCenter plug-in, Anthony Parks. Parks will participate with a "research" team working to:
"prototype and research user interaction models for new platforms for the Netflix service."
Which to me means Netflix liked what they saw with Parks the MyNetflix plugin and would like to see similar functionality on other platforms as well as more "official" integration of Netflix Watch-Now with hardware/software combinations such as Home Theater PCs. I hope this would mean willingness to work with smaller HTPC software companies such as SageTV as well, but it does make sense to start with the big guys on the block such as Microsoft first.
There are multiple Netflix plugins available for HTPC software such as Vista Media Center, SageTV (I use this one), MediaPortal and GBPVR, but all of them are user-developed and could easily lose functinality if Netflix were to change things around on their Netflix Watch Instantly website. Official support from Netflix could be a very positive move. The other obvious thing Netflix wants to do here is to give hardware such as game machines, DVD players and other devices the ability to use the Netflix Watch-Now movies.
Parks has more details of his job on his blog.