On the heels of the successful Live HD Microsoft Smooth Streaming Webcast of Wimbledon, iStreamPlanet chosen by Microsoft to spearhead content acquisition, encode origination point of distribution, and develop the media player experience for MJM Webcast.
LAS VEGAS – July 7, 2009 – iStreamPlanet, a provider of digital media strategy, services and software applications, announced today that it was selected by Microsoft Corp. and Sympatico / MSN to help deliver the live HD Webcast of the Michael Jackson Memorial. iStreamPlanet managed the encoding of the live content as well as developed and deployed a custom Microsoft Silverlight-based media player, which used Microsoft Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS7) Smooth Streaming. iStream partnered with content delivery network (CDN) Akamai to provide the media delivery and used encoding partner Inlet Technologies’ encoding technology for this historic event.
“As people are aware, the Michael Jackson Memorial Service was the kind of event that had as much attention as anything that has been broadcast on the internet,” said Gavin Lucas, Associate Director, Bell Canada. Mr. Lucas continued, “We are very proud of our presentation today on Sympatico / MSN because we utilized the best technology for Live HD and the best possible team to make that happen in iStreamPlanet and Akamai.”
Using its existing Managed Webcasting service, iStream managed the content acquisition, encoding, and delivery from their Webcast Operation Center in Las Vegas. Once iStreamPlanet acquired the audio and video content from the satellite, it used its fully customized end-to-end workflow which utilizes iStream Director and Inlet’s encoding technology, to encode the live-event footage into the IIS7 Smooth Streaming format. Additionally, viewers experienced the latest Silverlight solution in the iStream Player®, which features IIS7 Smooth Streaming DVR-like capabilities such as, pausing and rewinding the live HD-quality video, and broadcast of instant replays.
“Microsoft is once again thrilled with the live HD IIS7 Smooth Streaming experience provided by its collaborators iStreamPlanet and Akamai,” said Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president of the Developer Division at Microsoft Corp. “Silverlight and IIS Smooth Streaming helped provide end users with a continual HD-quality viewing experience for Michael Jackson fans on Sympatico / MSN that was of a high standard on the Internet.”
“We are proud to have provided such a high-quality HD experience for our customers during this historic event,” said Mio Babic, founder and CEO of iStreamPlanet. “We will continue to innovate and push the envelope on this technology and our services throughout the coming months in an effort to make this technology ubiquitously available to everyone.”
iStreamPlanet
iStreamPlanet® develops and provides digital media strategy, managed webcasting
services, and Rich Internet Applications. The company successfully integrates managed
services and SaaS-based digital media applications that cover all aspects of a media
delivery, enabling enterprises and other content owners to distribute and monetize their
digital media across multiple platforms. iStreamPlanet’s team of digital media and
broadcast experts has managed and enabled the deployment of more than 1,000 large
live events viewed online by millions, including the Presidential Inauguration. The world’s
top business leaders (American Express, AT&T, Caterpillar, Microsoft), trendiest music
festivals (Bonnaroo, Coachella, SXSW), most popular sporting events (Masters Golf
Tournament, Phoenix Suns, World Series of Poker), and major broadcasters (CBS
Television, Cablevision, Fox International) rely on iStreamPlanet’s digital media
solutions. Through its partnership with Smart City, iStreamPlanet also supports over 60
of the largest U.S. convention centers and event facilities. Founded in 2000, the privately
held company is headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in Orlando, Florida;
Scottsdale, Arizona; and Washington, D.C. More information is available by calling 702-
492-5900 or visiting http://www.istreamplanet.com.
©2009 iStreamPlanet Co. iStreamPlanet, iStream Managed Webcasting and iStream Player are registered trademark of iStreamPlanet Co. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.
PRESS RELEASE
Randy Levine
Communications for iStreamPlanet
702-492-5915
rlevine@istreamplanet.com
