RealNetworks launches European versions of RealPlayer G2
Presswire - February 16, 1999 13:58
-- Seven Localised Versions of RealPlayer G2 Launch in Response to Global Demand
RealNetworks, Inc., (Nasdaq: RNWK) the recognised leader in streaming media, today announced the launch of seven localised versions of RealPlayer G2 in response to the growing global demand for streaming media programming on the Web. Six of the new players will be targeted at the European market - with versions of the RealPlayer G2 in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese and UK English - as well as Japanese.
"We are thrilled to be expanding the already ubiquitous reach of RealPlayer G2 to Europe, Latin America and Japan," said Rob Glaser, chairman and CEO, RealNetworks, Inc. "With more than 30 percent of our 50 million registered users being overseas, it is clear that releasing the localised versions of RealPlayer G2 will continue to propel streaming media into the next mass medium."
New International Channels Seven new international channels will also be launched along with the new European language RealPlayers, and new channels are expected to be added every month. Users of the previous (US English version) RealPlayer can gain access to these new International channels by using the "Add Channel" button in the RealPlayer. The first group of channels launching with the European RealPlayer G2s include: GMN (Global Music Network, UK based), BrainPool (Germany), ITN New Media (UK), Deutsche Welle (Germany), NMTV (UK) and FT.com (Financial Times Television, UK).
Francois Mazoudier, director of marketing, RealNetworks, Europe said: "The development of International Channels and local language RealPlayers is an important step for RealNetworks and our customers. Streaming media can now be enjoyed by a far greater audience across Europe as it encompasses more languages and cultures. We are planning to build on these first seven European channels and offer users a broad, multi-cultural choice of European content."
"The launch of ITN's media streaming platform for RealNetworks' RealPlayer G2 marks an important threshold in the development of news on the Web," said Owen Pringle, Marketing Manager, ITN New Media. "By working with RealNetworks, ITN Online aims to augment its position as Europe's foremost provider of multimedia news via the internet."
Anna Russell, editorial director, Network Multimedia TV: "We are delighted to be working with Real Networks to create localised versions of its RealPlayer G2. From today, NMTV will be supplying TV news and interviews on a daily basis from its leading IT and business news service, Silicon.com (http://www.silicon.com). There is a clear demand from the European business community to receive localised information in an interactive, easy to use format - the RealPlayer G2 provides an ideal and widely used platform for meeting this need."
David Atherton, conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic and GMN.COM co-founder explains: "A large number of our users are from Europe, proving that Europe is approaching the US in terms of Internet usage. Working with RealNetworks to produce the GMN RealChannel is an easy way for our audience to listen to music. Through a single click on the user's RealPlayer G2, the user can experience complete works of music - not just thirty seconds snippets. Our audience is very sensitive to the quality of music, just as I am, as a musician and G2 enabled us to provide and retain the quality of music we produce across the Net."
In addition to the European channels, RealNetworks has also announced nine new Japanese channels and six new Brazilian.
With 50 million registered users, the RealPlayer experienced the largest absolute growth of any consumer desktop application in 1998. Actual usage of the RealPlayer has also grown dramatically, with Media Metrix reporting that the number of unduplicated home users in the US climbed to15.5 million in December 1998, an increase of more than 300% over December 1997.
|
