British Parliament Using Virage

Virage (www.virage.com) announced that Westminster Digital, a U.K. webcaster that has the rights to stream live proceedings in Parliament, will use Virage's Internet Video Application Platform.

Westminster Digital is the exclusive provider of live 24x7 streaming to Parliament in this election year (available at ParliamentLive.tv). The site will offer a web-based video search engine of parliamentary proceedings for anyone with an interest in current affairs and British politics. It also allows Westminster Digital partners to redistribute video footage from the House of Commons.

Philip Haggar, director of Westminster Digital Ltd (http://www.westminster-digital.co.uk) explains that it will archive some of its live content. "Selected coverage will now be archived for 14 days so customers can access the precise content of use to them through a video search engine," he said. "For instance, once the chancellor makes his budget speech on the 7th [of] March, customers will quickly be able to find the content that they are particularly interested in.''

Last week, Virage said that car site Edmunds.com is adding streaming automotive videos using Virage's video publishing solutions.

In related news, competing searchable video company MediaSite said it released a business suite to its portfolio. The suite includes MediaSite's Publisher, WebFinder and Search Development Kit, which makes video searchable and synchronizes time-based media including text, audio, or video. MediaSite says it integrates with Microsoft PowerPoint to support corporate training and other enterprise applications.