Publisher's Note: The Phoenix

I doubt I’ll ever hear from those guys again, and I doubt their product will "revolutionize" anything, but you never know. And when guys like these start popping up again, it tells us that there is a new excitement in the industry and that the promise of its value is being embraced all over again.

Of course, it also reminds us that we have to be careful about recognizing what is real and what is merely hype, about separating the wheat from the chaff and determining which technologies and business models actually hold promise and which ones are nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

That’s what we strive to achieve with the annual Sourcebook; it’s an annual reset button on the industry, your guide to the myriad business models and technologies of 2007. If you compare this issue to the last three, you’ll see that the general structure of industry overview, business, technology, and content case studies has been maintained. You’ll also find familiar writers and vendors that have been in the industry since it began, as well as plenty of newcomers. And this time, we’ve added a Buyer’s Guide section to help you make the best possible purchasing decisions.

I do hope to see those two guys again, and I hope that next time they’ll be able to talk about their "product." 2007 looks to me like the best year yet, and this time, it’s for real. Thanks to everyone who kept true to the faith—streaming media is changing the world, and we’ll continue to be your guide.