Cisco Content Delivery System Integrated With Adobe Flash Streaming Technology Takes Consumer Video Experience to New Level, Bringing Multimedia Content to Multiple Screens

SAN JOSE, CA and BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, Sep 29, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) — Cisco today announced that Telecom Italia has chosen the Cisco(R) Content Delivery System with Internet Streaming (CDS-IS) platform, with Adobe(R) Flash(R) streaming technology, to deliver live television channels and on-demand content through its Web portal, Yalp! ( www.yalp.it). With the CDS-IS platform and Adobe Flash technology, Telecom Italia can deliver high-quality, rich streaming media content to its viewers enabling them to watch TV shows on their laptops and PCs, accelerating the fusion of TV and the Internet. And because the CDS-IS system supports all major streaming and download formats, including the integrated native Adobe Flash Player, Telecom Italia now has the platform foundation to deliver “any stream to any screen” in any format. More and more, consumers are accessing content across PCs, PDAs, mobile phones and other devices. Through the deployment of the Cisco CDS-IS and the integration of Adobe Flash technology, Telecom Italia subscribers can view interactive video online with a hassle-free, instant-on Web video experience.

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/telecom-italia-selects-cisco-adobe/story.aspx?guid={7EF9C3C0-8FDE-4D25-BE76-AE61227196B6}&dist=hppr

At the Streaming Media West show we met with Robinson Robinson, CEO of Velocix, one of the largest world-wide CDN (content delivery networks) companies. Velocix customers include Bollywood TV, where you can watch “Saas Bahu aur Sensex”. The movie promo says it is a fun film about the changing face of India. Robinson explained how Velocix has taken the best elements of P2P (peer-to-peer), whereby bandwidth is increased as more and more computers start downloading a movie or watching a live broadcast. The big problem with P2P is that the ISP ends up having its bandwidth consumed.

Source: http://www.itexaminer.com/velocix-delivers-video-for-bollywood-tv.aspx

Streaming Media West has now come and gone and the conference moves onto Europe next month. In it’s 10th year SMW is one of the only conferences that has consistently focused on video and audio delivery over Internet and other distribution networks. New and familiar themes dealing with online video content delivery, new advertising models, brand strategies and how to monetize content were a few of the many discussed by the 110 speakers and some 4000 attendees who had traveled from all over the world to join the discussion and learn. With online video consumption continuing to rise the ad dollars are still not equal to that of the broadcast TV networks and the general consensus was that it will be a few years before content producers will really start making money.

Source: http://klessblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/streaming-media-west-day-three-news.html

Highwinds Network Group, Inc., a multi-platform IP services and content distribution provider, announced that it is gaining considerable traction in the rich media design market, as an increasing number of technical and creative agencies are finding value in reselling Highwinds’ content delivery services to their customers. In addition to offering direct access to their leading CDN technologies, Highwinds’ gives its channel partners the ability to control their own billing and pricing structures, provision new customer accounts within seconds and private-label Highwinds’ StrikeTracker dashboard. For rich media design firms like 9mmedia, i5labs, One Pica and VirtuPoint, selecting Highwinds as their CDN partner was a natural choice because of the business and technological gains.

Mark Snyder, COO of VirtuPoint, a Los Angeles-based rich media development firm has been working with CDNs for nearly a decade. Their client list includes many of the Forbes 100, and includes agencies looking to augment their creative direction with captivating interactive web applications. VirtuPoint has been using the Highwinds CDN for the broadcast of live events, on-demand video and static content distribution to reliably deliver client data. VirtuPoint’s footprint includes locations in Europe and Asia, locations that are so geographically dispersed that serving content has been difficult in the past with other CDNs. The company is utilizing the reach of the Highwinds CDN to expand their client base and maximize revenue streams.

Source: http://www.geniusdv.com/news_and_tutorials/2008/09/highwinds-empowers-rich-media-design-firms.php

September 24, 2008 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Content delivery network provider Akamai Technologies (akamai.com) announced on Wednesday it is powering online video broadcaster Metacafe (metacafe.com). Metacafe had previously enlisted the services of content delivery network Limelight Networks as its exclusive content delivery network provider.

Late last year, Metacafe implemented a combination of Akamai’s media delivery and rich media site acceleration solutions to optimize the delivery of rich, heavy web pages, videos and dynamic content, which resulted in achieving a 30 percent improvement in video start time. This improvement has been greatly instrumental in contributing to significant growth in both page views and video views on Metacafe, increasing by 44 and 53 percent respectively between January and July 2008.

With more than 34 million unique viewers in more than 180 countries, according to comScore Media Metrix in June, Metacafe is considered the world’s largest video site focused exclusively on short-form entertainment, says the company.

Source: http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/092408_Akamai_CDN_Powers_Metacafe_Site.cfm

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Level 3 Communications’ Wholesale Markets Group today announced that it has launched high speed Internet Protocol (HSIP) services in the Toronto and Montreal markets and expanded transport services into Montreal. This expansion — in response to customer demand growth in the region — will enable Canadian-based carriers and bandwidth providers to access the Level 3 network cost- effectively.

The expansion in these Canadian markets underscores Level 3’s commitment to providing feature-rich services via one of the largest IP networks in the world. Level 3 maintains operations in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, which includes a dedicated sales force and operational support teams to provide premium customer service to Canadian-based carriers.

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_10545335

Hybrid P2P CDN Solution is Primed to Affordably Power Major International Broadcasters’ Most-Watched Live Events SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 23

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ — Highwinds Network Group, Inc., a multi-platform IP services and content distribution provider, today announced that it has partnered with Octoshape, a leading provider of high-quality peer-assisted streaming solutions, to create a Hybrid Peer-to-Peer
Content Delivery Network (Hybrid P2P CDN) solution for streaming live events to millions of concurrent worldwide viewers. The solution fully integrates Octoshape’s innovative peer-to-peer data transmission technology with Highwinds’ high-performance network and real-time analytical tools. The
Hybrid P2P CDN enables major international broadcasters to power many of the most-watched live events on the Internet. Highwinds and Octoshape are demonstrating the integrated solution this week at Streaming Media West in Highwinds’ booth #618.

Source: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/octoshape-and-highwinds-unleash-p2p-solution-for-live-streaming,551711.shtml

Broadcast, Cable, and Internet Media Expert Brings Industry Experience to the Highwinds Team Sports Television Pioneer helped bring live events to the Internet

WINTER PARK, Fla., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ — Highwinds Network Group, Inc., a multi-platform IP services and content distribution provider, today announced that veteran media executive and entrepreneur Brian Bedol has joined its board of directors, bringing with him nearly three decades of industry expertise. While his accomplishments are numerous and varied, Bedol is perhaps best known for founding and operating two successful independent cable networks: Classic Sports Network and CSTV: College Sports Television, which were sold off to ESPN and CBS respectively, and renamed ESPN Classic and CBS College Sports Network. While running CSTV, Bedol was one of the first media
executives to recognize the value that could be created from aggregating niches using the Internet. In addition to the nationally distributed 24-hour network, CSTV built an online network operating official athletic sites and live broadband channels for over 200 universities and conferences, earning the company recognition as a pioneer in multi-platform distribution of sports.

Source: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/brian-bedol-joins-highwinds-board-of-directors,551525.shtml

Abacast Hybrid CDN is the first to offer live and on-demand media distribution that seamlessly utilizes unicast and peer-assisted delivery.

Camas, WA (Vocus/PRWEB ) September 23, 2008 — Abacast Inc., a leader in real-time streaming solutions has today announced the purchase of Tukati, Inc., a producer of peer-assisted on-demand delivery solutions. The acquisition brings a combined peer-assisted Live and On-Demand Service under a single entity, which was previously offered via a partnership between the two companies.

Sales, support, and product integration are now done by a unified team at a single location, leveraging our cumulative 13 years experience running large-scale, secure distribution networks.
“The combination of these two companies’ technologies enables the first hybrid peer to peer solution covering the complete spectrum of real-time and on-demand distribution,” said Michael King, President of Abacast. “Bringing Tukati into the Abacast family enables content publishers to make a single vendor choice for reliable content distribution, while getting a huge leap in distribution efficiencies.”

The combined product gives content publishers a rich suite of delivery options including real-time streaming; on demand video, game, and software distribution; progressive video delivery; and push delivery. In addition, content demand and end-user performance metrics are offered in real-time, allowing marketing campaigns to be adjusted based on consumer usage patterns.

Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/9/prweb1373494.htm

DigiMeld SUPERSTREAM™ delivers highly scalable video infrastructure for broadcast quality Internet video for CDNs and publishers

San Jose, CA - Streaming Media West 2008 (September 22, 2008) - DigiMeld, a provider of software solutions for streaming and live Internet broadcasting, today announced the launch of its DigiMeld SuperStreamSM, a Grid-streaming solution that offers the most efficient method of transmitting video over the Internet in real-time. DigiMeld SuperStream is based on the company’s patent-pending grid-streaming technology, which enables content providers to stream unlimited video channels while conserving bandwidth and minimizing costs. DigiMeld SuperStream will be marketed to network providers, content delivery network (CDN) firms, and a wide range of video content-holders, including broadcasters, user-generated content (UGC) sites, and business enterprise customers.

DigiMeld will demonstrate DigiMeld SuperStream at the Streaming Media West conference in San Jose, September 23-25, in Booth #410 of the McEnery Convention Center.

DigiMeld SuperStream leverages a technique that enables viewers in the DigiMeld grid streaming network to simultaneously retrieve, view, and share streaming video data with other viewers, inside a safe, encrypted network. The solution underwent a successful live, 100,000-viewer trial, with no down time. Separately, DigiMeld also conducted several live, high-quality streaming trials with NASA Television.

Source: http://www.streamingmedia.com/press/view.asp?id=10127