All the right moves
Can Helix Deliver the Real Stuff? Real Networks' move toward open source is a significant step toward a viable business model for its Helix servers, which have seen declining revenues in the past couple quarters. Allowing developers to build their own clients and enhancements to the server will encourage wider adoption of the Real streaming format for delivery of content.
It also creates new challenges to the Real consumer business, and an opportunity. On the one hand, having many clients that can take a stream from a Helix server on a secure basis lowers the barriers for competitors to the RealOne subscription services. On the other, Real, by focusing on aggregating, billing and fulfillment for a wide range of premium content on an a la carte basis can be the hub of a many-spoked media distribution system.
Posted by Mitch Ratcliffe at October 25, 2002 01:37 PM | TrackBack