Microsoft Collaborates With 35 Cos.
By DAVID E. KALISH
.c The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - Trying to gain the edge over Internet rival RealNetworks, Microsoft Corp. organized a collaboration with 35 companies to improve the quality of video and sound transmitted to people with high-speed connections to the Internet.
The goal of the partnership, unveiled Wednesday, is to hasten the adoption of high-speed Internet access by consumers.
Microsoft said the companies planned to use its ''streaming'' software, which allows continuous sound and video, such as movies or high-fidelity music, to be sent and received over the World Wide Web.
The partnership is the latest effort by Microsoft to capture part of the customer base that uses ''streaming'' software made by rival RealNetworks Inc., which pioneered the market and is still the dominant player. RealNetworks is based in Seattle, near Microsoft's base in Redmond, Wash.
High-speed access to the Internet is the next battleground for such technology, many analysts believe.
Streaming media works best across high-speed networks, but the vast majority of Web users still gain access to the Internet through slower dial-up modems. This has hurt acceptance of streaming media.
That's where Microsoft can gain an edge over RealNetworks, analysts say - by urging industry players to step up efforts to build high-speed networks and technology that takes advantage of them. Partners in the effort, such as cable TV companies, will cooperate by optimizing their networks to accept richer video and audio.
''RealNetworks is at this point the industry standard,'' said Charles King, an industry analyst with Zona Research Inc., based in Redwood City, Calif.
But ''Microsoft at the same time is extremely good at pulling coalitions of people to work with, and holding those coalitions together,'' he added. ''They are coming into this a bit late, but they are coming in with a big bang.''
RealNetworks said through a spokesman that it was well ahead of Microsoft in delivering streaming media that works best with high-speed Internet access, and did not view the new Microsoft initiative as a threat.
''We're pretty far ahead on that realm,'' said RealNetworks spokesman Jay Wampold.
The companies in the Microsoft collaboration include high-speed cable TV companies, such as RoadRunner, which services cable TV giants Time Warner and MediaOne; content providers, such as Virginmega.com and Digitial Entertainment Network Inc.; and network companies, such as Akamai Technologies Inc. and Sandpiper Networks.
Microsoft said that companies in its ''Windows Media Broadband Jumpstart'' initiative won't be restricted to using its software, but that its software was ''optimized'' for high-speed networking.
''This is the underpinning technology that enables this to happen,'' said Kevin Unangst, Microsoft's lead product manager in its streaming media division.
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