Companies to collaborate on tools and services for online training and communications
Cisco Systems and Microsoft announced an extension of their technology interoperability relationship to include streaming media solutions. The companies will build on the strengths of the Microsoft Windows Media Technologies, including the Windows Media Player, Windows NT Server NetShow Services, and NetShow Theater Server, together with Cisco`s IP/TV and other Internet products, to provide tools and services for helping customers deploy comprehensive streaming media solutions.
Over the next few months, Cisco and Microsoft will announce additional details on how these technologies will interoperate to provide a complete solution for deploying streaming media in corporate environments.
With the rapid increase in network bandwidth and PC processing power, corporate and education customers are turning to streaming media to deliver richer and more compelling business applications. These organizations are looking for complete solutions for content creation, distribution and management to meet their business needs. As two of the leading enterprise and Internet technology providers, Cisco and Microsoft will collaborate to provide customers with the resources they need to utilize the Windows Media Technologies, IP/TV and other Cisco Internet products as the foundation for streaming media solutions.
"Customers deploying streaming media solutions are looking for compatible technologies from vendors they can trust," said Anthony Bay, general manager, commercial systems division at Microsoft. "Cisco and Microsoft have the experience and the technologies to deliver these solutions."
Cisco and Microsoft plan to deliver synergistic technologies, providing customers with a complementary set of tools and services for developing and deploying streaming media. Future versions of Cisco`s IP/TV product are planned to integrate the Windows Media Technologies and support the Advanced Streaming Format (ASF) as a first demonstration of the collaboration between the companies. In addition, plans are for the IP/TV Content Manager to be enhanced to provide content management, replication, bandwidth and load management, scheduling, and program listing for the Windows Media Technologies.
"Cisco networking customers are beginning to deploy streaming media solutions across their organizations," said Cliff Meltzer, vice president and general manager, Cisco IOS(R) technology and engineering operations at Cisco. "We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Microsoft and provide our customers with end-to-end solutions based on the best technologies from both companies."
Cisco and Microsoft also participate in the Networked Multimedia Connection (NMC), a cooperative program aimed at accelerating the adoption of networked multimedia, including streaming video, in the corporate and university markets. Today, at the NMC Showcase event in San Jose, Calif., Cisco and Microsoft along with Intel Corp. will demonstrate how leading corporations and universities are improving the way they do business by deploying networked multimedia in the areas of distance learning and training, real-time communications and collaboration (see related release, "Cisco, Intel and Microsoft Showcase Successful Deployments of Networked Multimedia").
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