Wave Issue 9609 9/27/96 Article 4-01

***Microsoft's NetShow
by David Lohse

On Sept. 16, Microsoft entered the streaming video market in a big way
with the unveiling of its NetShow technology, which provides multicasting
streaming capabilities to be integrated with their Internet Information
Server (IIS). Although several companies have already positioned
themselves as leading in audio and video streaming technologies, such as
Progressive Networks (responsible for the popular RealAudio software),
Xing Technologies and VDOnet, Microsoft claims that their NetShow
technology will be complementary rather than competitive: Microsoft will
provide the basic infrastructure and standards for streaming, while
companies such as Progressive Networks and Xing will provide value-added
technology such as codecs, compression technology, servers and authoring
and management tools.

NetShow includes the two core components for online multimedia: NetShow
On-Demand, which provides multimedia streaming, and NetShow Live, which
provides multicasting capabilities (using the IP multicasting and RTP
open standards). Billed as an "open software platform," NetShow stores
and streams audio, video and "illustrated audio" (audio synched with
images). The NetShow platform consists of a server component for Windows
NT, along with client components for Windows 95 and Windows NT
Workstation, as well as authoring tools and administration utilities.
Although it provides its own programming interfaces, NetShow of course
also supports Microsoft's ActiveX technology.

A number of companies have already announced they are developing products
for the NetShow platform, including, among others: Progressive Networks,
Xing Technologies, VDOnet, Eastman Kodak, Cisco Systems, Checkpoint
Software, Bay Networks, 3Com, and Ascend Communications.

A beta release of NetShow is now available from Microsoft's Web site
(with Beta 2 to be released in October), with a final release scheduled
before the end of the year to be included in future version of IIS and
Windows NT Server.

www.microsoft.com/netshow