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New Beta Version Introduces Fast Stream for Broadband PC Users, More Lucrative And Scalable Streaming Technology for Businesses

"The innovations in Windows Media Services in Windows .NET Server redefine the possibilities for streaming on the Web and across corporate networks," said Will Poole, vice president of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft. "This will deliver the most powerful, scalable and extensible streaming server available, and its ability to effectively eliminate buffering will transform the streaming experience for broadband users."

Windows Media Services in Windows .NET Server is the first deliverable within the Windows Media "Corona" platform. "Corona" will enable the third generation of streaming on the Internet by providing technologies that for the first time will enable a home-theater-quality experience, effectively eliminating buffering for broadband users by delivering an instant-on, always-on experience, and by improving the economics of delivering audio and video streams on a large scale. Windows Media Services in Windows .NET Server lays the foundation for the upcoming "Corona" platform by offering the following key innovations:

• Fast Stream. Fast Stream dramatically improves the everyday streaming experience by delivering instant-on, always-on technology that virtually eliminates the waiting caused by buffering of audio and video files streamed across broadband networks.
• Broadcast Ready. Offering the industry’s first server-side playlists, which enable content providers to dynamically change on the fly any content delivered in a streamed broadcast environment, Windows Media Services turns the media server into a broadcast control room. More important, combined with multicast technology, server-side playlists break down the cost barriers and maximize reach for streaming broadcasts. New support for dynamic streaming ad insertion also improve the economics for streaming by improving the effectiveness and measurability of streaming advertising to better compete with traditional media.
• Wireless ready. The delivery of streaming audio and video to wireless devices represents an exciting new opportunity for commercial voice and data carriers. Windows Media Services in Windows .NET Server is optimized for wireless streaming, with features such as Fast Recovery for uninterrupted playback over high-latency networks, and server-side playlists to better support thin wireless clients such as cell phones and pagers. By removing the client-side dependencies for playlist technology, content owners can now easily produce their content once and deliver it to a broad range of media player clients and devices, from PCs to thin wireless clients.
• Industrial-strength scalability and control. Windows Media Services in Windows .NET Server redefines scalability by doubling the scalability of the industry’s most scalable media server. Combined with more flexible administrative management and control of bandwidth usage using Microsoft Management Console (MMC), the new media services provide a rock-solid foundation for delivering media across any enterprise or commercial network.
• Unprecedented extensibility for customization. Offering more than 1,000 platform APIs and support for 7 programming languages for plug-in development, the latest version of Windows Media Services offers unprecedented opportunities for IT professionals to flexibly adapt Windows Media Services to their specific environment and for developers to create new revenue opportunities by building value-added applications and services.

Availability

Windows Media Services in Windows .NET Server is part of Microsoft’s latest server family and is available in technical beta to testers via Technet Plus at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/
treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/subscriptions/about.asp, and developers via MSDN at http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/.

About Windows Media

Windows Media is the leading digital media platform, providing unmatched audio and video quality to consumers, content providers, solution providers and software developers as well as business, education and government users. Windows Media offers the industry’s only integrated rights-management solution and the most scalable and reliable streaming technology tested by independent labs. Windows Media Technologies includes Windows Media Player for consumers, Windows Media Services for servers, Windows Media Tools for content creation, and the Windows Media Software Development Kit for software developers. Windows Media Player, available in 26 languages, is the fastest-growing media player. More information about Windows Media can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.

Microsoft, Windows Media, Windows and MSDN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.