Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News

      Online Media War Gets Real Interesting

      By
      eWEEK EDITORS
      -
      June 25, 2001
      Share
      Facebook
      Twitter
      Linkedin

        RealNetworks dodged a bullet in the battle between two industry giants and now hopes to emerge as a stronger player in digital media.

        AOL Time Warners endorsement of RealNetworks media technology is part of what scuttled a new licensing deal with Microsoft.

        Thus strengthened, RealNetworks wasted no time last week in rolling out a new specification to provide secure content delivery over the Web, which it hopes will be embraced as an open standard.

        Backed by a bevy of technology and media giants, including Adobe Systems, AOL Time Warner, Bertelsmann, IBM, InterTrust Technologies, MGM Studios and Sony, RealNetworks announced a specification that calls for a uniform way to deliver and sell copyrighted content securely online. XMCL — short for eXtensible Media Commerce Language — is intended to describe the business rules associated with monetizing digital content, including defining methods for offering rental, pay-per-view and subscription services, said RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser.

        RealNetworks also introduced its own end-to-end system for delivering secure media. The technology is part of the platform that will be used by MusicNet, an online music delivery service backed by America Online, Bertelsmann, EMI Group and RealNetworks and expected to be launched this fall.

        Noticeably absent from the XMCL rollout was Microsoft, which spent part of last week introducing new software called Microsoft Producer, which is designed for creating digital media presentations.

        The acrimony between Microsoft and RealNetworks is not surprising, given their mutual ambitions to become the leading provider of digital media technology. Its that rivalry, AOL executives claim, that played a major part in disrupting the on-again, off-again licensing negotiations between Microsoft and AOL.

        The two companies last week agreed they could not agree on the terms that would see AOLs online service included within Microsofts Windows XP operating system, due to be released Oct. 25.

        Other bones of contention included instant messaging, and AOLs threat of legal action against Microsoft for using its operating system monopoly to move into markets that AOL dominates.

        News of the talks end came as no surprise to industry watchers. “Were talking about two companies that have no business being together at the bargaining table,” said Rob Enderle, a research fellow at Giga Information Group. “Their view of a perfect world is one in which the other one is out of business.”

        eWEEK EDITORS
        eWeek editors publish top thought leaders and leading experts in emerging technology across a wide variety of Enterprise B2B sectors. Our focus is providing actionable information for today’s technology decision makers.
        Get the Free Newsletter!
        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
        This email address is invalid.
        Get the Free Newsletter!
        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
        This email address is invalid.

        MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

        Latest News

        Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

        James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
        I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
        Read more
        Applications

        Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

        James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
        I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
        Read more
        IT Management

        Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

        James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
        I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
        Read more
        Applications

        Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

        James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
        I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
        Read more
        Cloud

        IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

        James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
        I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
        Read more
        Logo

        eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

        Facebook
        Linkedin
        RSS
        Twitter
        Youtube

        Advertisers

        Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

        Advertise with Us

        Menu

        • About eWeek
        • Subscribe to our Newsletter
        • Latest News

        Our Brands

        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms
        • About
        • Contact
        • Advertise
        • Sitemap
        • California – Do Not Sell My Information

        Property of TechnologyAdvice.
        © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

        Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

        ×