NaviSite Launches streamOS

NaviSite (www.navisite.com) has announced streamOS - a platform for streaming content delivery and management. streamOS offers clients the ability to organize and manage streaming content on their Web sites via a browser-based interface. streamOS supports Microsoft's Windows Media, Real Network's RealMedia and Apple's Quicktime. The system is comprised of four components: streamDFS, streamQoS, streamDRM and streamBRI.

According to Christopher Levy, chief technology manager of NaviSite's streaming division, the new software will lower the level of IT knowledge required to manage streaming media and the costs associated.

The stream DFS component eliminates the manual process, which previously required content publishers to FTP or TELNET files to streaming vendors or IT specialists. The software allows you to drag and drop a compressed file into the publishing system, and automatically distributes that file to several data centers - providing for disaster recovery and geographical redundancy. Once the file is in the publishing system, the user is able to manipulate the metadata without endangering the integrity of the streaming file.

streamOS also provides an automated system for deploying streaming content across several content delivery networks (CDNs). NaviSite intends to announce its partner CDNs in the coming weeks.

The quality of service component streamQoS provides, is a methodology to track and report on the quality of streaming broadcasts and level of audience participation. The service will be able to provide real-time reports, as well as a history of your streams performance. NaviSite uses Cisco Systems Inc.'s CSS 11000 Series of content delivery switches as a fundamental part of its content redirection architecture, and these switches are capable of providing real-time status of content servers.

streamDRM is a digital rights management protocol that will enable customers to deploy content through the stream DRM interface, for a fee in live and on-demand environments. NaviSite is partnering with Microsoft and Real to offer this service. streamDRM is the only component not on the market, and is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2001.

streamBRI is an automated broadcast relay system. Customers can indicate the IP address of a webcast's source stream and publish their live streaming content via a Web interface without the need for IT intervention.

NaviSite will soon be releasing two additional products that add automated features to the streamOS system. These products will add the ability to drag and drop uncompressed AVI or MPEG files into the system for batch encoding on the server level, as well as provide a customizable web page template for streaming content.