Lotus Development and RealNetworks have announced a strategic distribution, development and licensing agreement that will see RealNetworks` RealSystem G2 technology integrated with Lotus Domino and Lotus Notes software products.
"Integrating RealNetworks` G2 streaming media capabilities into Domino enables the power of multimedia to be harnessed for the business," says Eileen Rudden, senior vice president, Lotus Communications Products Division. "RealAudio and RealVideo dramatically improve quality and depth of communication from business to customer, from colleague to colleague and from teacher to student, and provides a wealth of new application development opportunities."
Len Jordan, senior vice president, Media Systems, RealNetworks, believes the announcement marks a major milestone for the widespread corporate adoption of RealSystem G2.
"Customers will benefit from rapid delivery of business-critical communications, cost-effective business and sales training and distance learning. The combination of Domino, Notes, and RealSystem G2 builds the foundation on which even more companies will realise significant competitive advantages by making employees more productive and knowledgeable."
The experiences and comments of Tom Thomas, chief information officer at 3Com, underscore this view.
"3Com has been successfully using streaming media to deliver business-critical information from our executives to our entire dispersed workforce of over 10,000 employees. We look forward to this integrated solution from Lotus and RealNetworks because it will make it far easier to implement a wide array of new cutting-edge applications for business communications within the company."
Another happy customer of both companies` technologies is Chase Manhattan Bank. "Integration of these two products provides a platform on which we can build new business-critical solutions in many areas of our organisation," comments Michael Mazza, vice president of Groupware and Internet Services, Chase Manhattan Bank.
Lotus Notes clients will integrate RealNetworks RealPlayer G2, enabling streamed multimedia content to be viewed and heard and allowing users to create multimedia content for others in their workgroup using RealEncoder G2. Lotus Domino Servers will integrate RealServer G2, Workgroup Edition, to enable on-demand business-critical communication and training using streamed RealAudio and RealVideo.
RealVideo G2 includes the recently announced Intel Streaming Web Video codec and SureStream which will provide production efficiencies for creating streaming video programming and deliver significant video performance and quality improvements. RealAudio G2 delivers stereo and near-CD quality capabilities over connection speeds ranging from 28.8Kbps up to corporate T-1 lines.
Steve Dunbar, country marketing manager at Lotus Development SA, says the combination of these technologies provides a powerful platform which Lotus and RealNetworks developers can use to build highly graphical, rich multimedia applications for corporate communication, training, and streaming navigation on the Web.
The rapid and seamless systems integration is made possible by new technology from IBM called HotMedia Connect. This is a Java-based middleware layer that integrates RealServer G2 with Domino servers, and exposes their capabilities through interfaces and design paradigms familiar to Domino/Notes users and developers.
High-quality RealVideo and RealAudio can now be integrated into rich media documents for use via Web browsers and Lotus notes clients. The solution also enables media-based applications to be built and users to seamlessly: view and listen; store, distribute and share; manage and file; create, edit and attach; and search and filter other media clips from Domino databases.
This new open and extensible solution will provide an ideal development environment for a variety of third-party solutions from systems integrators and value-added resellers that extend the rich functionality exposed in the system.
RealSystem G2, Workgroup Edition will be included with Domino and Notes in early 1999. For more information about RealSystem G2, visit www.real.com. Information about Domino and Notes may be accessed at www.lotus.com.
Editors note
About Lotus Development
Lotus Development Corporation, founded in 1982, is a subsidiary of IBM Corporation. Lotus offers high-quality software products and services that reflect the company`s unique understanding of the new ways in which individuals and businesses must work together to achieve success. Lotus` innovative approach is evident in a new class of applications that allow users to access and communicate information in ways never before possible both within and beyond organisational boundaries. Lotus now markets its products in more than 80 countries world-wide and provides numerous professional consulting, support and education services through the Lotus Services Group. Lotus can be found on the World Wide Web at www.lotus.com.
About RealNetworks
RealNetworks, based in Seattle, WA, is the recognised leader in the streaming media market. It develops and markets software products and services designed to enable users of personal computers and other consumer electronic devices to send and receive audio, video and other multimedia services using the Web. RealNetworks can be found on the World Wide Web at www.real.com.
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