PN's announcement of RealAudio (nice new product I had betaed)

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

PROGRESSIVE NETWORKS LAUNCHES THE FIRST COMMERCIAL AUDIO-ON-DEMAND SYSTEM
OVER THE INTERNET
> SEATTLE, April 10, 1995 - Progressive Networks (PN), an interactive
communications company focused on the delivery of real-time audio on demand
over the Internet, was launched today.  The company also introduced its
RealAudio(TM) audio-on-demand development and delivery system
(http://www.RealAudio.com/) and announced that its first two content
partners are the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and National Public
Radio (NPR).  Leading-edge website providers
> Metaverse, HotWired, GNN and RadioNetHuman/Factor, among others, will also
be producing audio entertainment and news using RealAudio technology that
can be enjoyed by their users at the touch of a button.
> The RealAudio system enables users equipped with conventional multimedia
personal computers and voice-grade telephone lines to browse, select and
play back audio or audio-based multimedia content on demand, as easily as
using a standard video cassette player/recorder.  PN's RealAudio system
makes it possible for providers of entertainment, information and news
content to deliver audio-on-demand services that can be accessed and played
back immediately.  This is a real breakthrough compared to typical download
times encountered with delivery of audio over conventional on-line methods,
in which audio is downloaded at a rate that is five to ten times longer than
the actual program - e.g., the listener must wait 25 minutes before
listening to just five minutes of audio.
> Progressive Networks was founded by Rob Glaser, formerly vice president of
Multimedia and Consumer Systems at Microsoft  Corporation.  Progressive
Networks' lead outside investor is Mitchell Kapor, founder of Lotus
Development Corporation and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
> "We recognized an immediate opportunity for content providers to develop
and offer exciting on-demand services today, years ahead of the
infrastructure investment needed for video on demand.  We are bringing one
of the oldest and most popular forms of electronically transmitted
entertainment, sports, music and news programming, called radio - into the
next century," said Glaser.  "We can now help audio content providers make a
wealth of programming available to Internet users and enable users to access
this material for the first time on demand."
> "Our involvement with PN is part of ABC's continuing commitment to using
today's innovative technologies to bring news, sports and entertainment
programming to our audience," said ABC's Kathryn Dillon, vice president of
Production and Technology in the Capital Cities/ABC Multimedia Group.  "Our
audio library consists of hundreds of thousands of hours of great
entertainment as well as memorable news and sporting events.  RealAudio
affords us an opportunity to make this programming available to today's
Internet and on-line users as well as an ability to create innovative new
multimedia programming that will attract new users."
> "RealAudio provides NPR listeners with a unique new way to hear selections
from their favorite NPR programs.  This opportunity will be especially
important for listeners whose crowded schedules cause them to miss
over-the-air broadcasts by our member stations," said Del Lewis, president
of NPR.  "We are eager to continue working with Progressive Networks to use
their innovative new Internet technology to provide improved services to our
listeners and member stations."
> "We are excited to offer RealAudio programming that our customers can
instantly access," said Adam Curry, president, Metaverse.  "This will
greatly expand our audio programming opportunities for an even richer
Internet experience."
> PN's RealAudio Product Line
>
> In order to build the market for audio-on-demand, PN is introducing three
RealAudio products, each designed for a specific market segment:  RealAudio
Player for consumers, RealAudio Studio for content creators and RealAudio
Server for on-line publishers.  The products work together to provide a
comprehensive distributed client/server system.
> RealAudio Player is client-based software that enables Internet and on-line
users to access existing audio for instant playback.  Available free over
the Internet for Windows, Macintosh and select UNIX workstations, the
RealAudio Player can be used either in a standalone fashion or through
integration with standard Internet Web browsers.
> RealAudio Studio, the second RealAudio product being introduced, enables
multimedia on-line creators to develop their own programs delivering
audio-on-demand or audio-based multimedia streams.  Studio will be available
in three forms:  a trial version that can be downloaded freely for
evaluation purposes, a standard version and a professional version.  The
standard and professional versions will be available first for Windows, with
other versions to follow as market demand develops.
> RealAudio Server, the third product, enables major media content providers
to distribute audio or audio-based multimedia streams over the Internet to a
broad base of consumers and end users.  RealAudio Servers will be available
for Windows NT and a range of UNIX-based server platforms.
> Beta versions of the RealAudio Player, Studio and Server products are
available now on a limited basis.  Production versions of the RealAudio
Player for Windows and Server for UNIX and Windows NT will be available by
mid-year.  Production versions of the RealAudio Player for Macintosh and the
RealAudio Studio will be available in the third quarter.
> Content Delivery using PN's RealAudio Products
>
> PN plans to work with content and media partners in two ways:  by providing
RealAudio Server software to media companies that already have an on-line
presence, and by selectively distributing content from media partners and
providing it directly to consumers on Internet sites managed and maintained
by PN.
> PN is working with independent content publishers such as Metaverse,
HotWired, GNN and RadioNet who are interested in using RealAudio to enhance
their own Web sites.  They will be offering RealAudio entertainment and
information programming for their users.  The ABC and NPR relationships are
examples of cases where PN will be involved in the distribution of content.
ABC's initial offering will consist of RealAudio-based news content, to be
updated on a hourly basis.  NPR is licensing content from four of its
popular programs to Progressive Networks, including "All Things Considered"
and "Morning
> Edition," which will be accessible to users on the RealAudio Internet site.
>
> About Progressive Networks
>
> Progressive Networks, based in Seattle, develops and markets software
products and services designed to enable users of personal computers and
other digital devices to send and receive audio and audio-based multimedia
services using the existing infrastructure.
> For additional information, please contact us on the Web at
http://www.RealAudio.com, e-mail us at info () realaudio com.  If you're with
the press, you can contact one of the following people:
> Progressive Networks
> Maria Cantwell, 206-447-0567 x231
>
> KillerApp Communications
> Allison Thomas/Lauri Burrier/Katie Cotton, 818-509-3700
> Rachel McCallister/Scott Grogin, 213-939-5991
>
> ###