Find the Sweet Spots

Steven Chester, CEO of Digital Planet, says e-learning and corporate communication will be among the leading opportunities for companies in the streaming-media space.

He believes corporate communication—basically meetings of various kinds—will emerge as a particularly large segment, as customers see the value in not having to fly people around to attend corporate get-togethers. “Corporations can save a lot of money … and if its done right, it can be entertaining,” Chester says.

A third segment—what Chester calls streaming medias Holy Grail—is a B2C Webcast that truly helps a brand position itself online.

Chester says potential customers are interested in such applications, but the problem for solutions providers is finding the right person in the corporate organization with whom to talk. E-learning projects, for example, require the human resources directors participation. Branding projects involve a companys VP of marketing and its ad agency.

“The problem is, those people dont have enough understanding yet of streaming media,” Chester says. “Eventually, all major corporations will have someone at the other side of the table who understands what we do.”

Until then, sales will be as much of a challenge as piecing together the technology.