REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 18, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. and Digital Equipment Corp. today announced they are extending their alliance by working together to make available Microsoft® NetShow network multimedia software on Digital’s AlphaServer platform. Microsoft NetShow enables multicasting of live audio and data, and storing and streaming of multimedia content on corporate networks. Enterprise customers will be able to deploy audio and video online training and communication materials using Digital’s high-performance, scalable server technology.
“Microsoft and Digital have unique strengths that complement each other,”
said Pauline Nist, vice president of the AlphaServer business segment at Digital.
“We are happy to work with Microsoft to provide our joint customers Microsoft NetShow software. NetShow and the Digital AlphaServer platform will provide a robust, scalable solution for enterprise deployments of network multimedia applications.”
“Digital and Microsoft have a long, successful history of delivering world-class solutions to our enterprise customers,”
said Craig Mundie, senior vice president of the consumer platform division at Microsoft.
“We’ve been very pleased to work with Digital in delivering solutions on the Windows NT® operating system and the Microsoft BackOffice
™server suite. With this new collaboration, we’re extending our alliance to the area of networked multimedia, bringing the best of Microsoft’s multimedia technology to Digital’s enterprise customers.”
Microsoft NetShow is an open software platform for basic delivery of live and on-demand multimedia content over corporate networks. NetShow enables business users to provide audio and video in online training and communications materials, using minimal network bandwidth.
NetShow facilitates efficient use and management of network bandwidth in a number of ways. For live transmissions, it uses IP multicasting to distribute audio and data files over multicast-enabled networks, allowing one-to-many simultaneous transmission of data using the amount of network bandwidth normally used to send to only one client. For on-demand delivery, NetShow provides the ability to author content at different bit rates. It also includes simple server administration tools that allow management control over network bandwidth usage.
Digital’s AlphaServer family of systems is the industry’s only complete line of high-performance Windows NT-based servers, ranging from the AlphaServer 4000 series at the high end to the departmental and network AlphaServer 2000, 1000 and 400 models. Windows NT-based AlphaServer systems offer industry-leading performance and price/performance, powered by a balanced choice of processor speed, high scalability through single- and multiprocessor symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) configurations, high availability through industry-leading Windows NT-based clustered solutions, and thousands of the most popular applications.
At each price point, AlphaServer systems running Windows NT provide an ideal Internet and intranet solution, based on the world’s fastest microprocessors – up to 400 MHz – huge memory capacity and storage, blazingly fast PCI-based I/O, and the industry’s best hardware warranty.
Availability
Microsoft NetShow is expected to be available on the Digital AlphaServer family beginning in the fourth quarter of 1996.
Digital Equipment Corp. is the world’s leader in open client/server solutions from personal computers to integrated worldwide systems. Digital’s Intel and Alpha platforms, storage, networking, software and services, together with industry-focused solutions from business partners, help organizations compete and win in today’s global marketplace.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Windows NT and BackOffice are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
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