REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 9, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Windows Media™ Technologies has extended its lead among enterprise customers using streaming media. According to the latest study from independent research firm Market Decisions Corp. (MDC), 68 percent of enterprises surveyed that have deployed streaming media now use Microsoft® Windows Media, compared with 41 percent for the next largest competitor. Enterprises are embracing Windows Media to improve the effectiveness of both internal and external communications while achieving significant cost savings. Independent research firm Perey Research and Consulting found that a J.D. Edwards and Co. streaming solution built on Windows Media Technologies paid for itself in the first year by reducing travel and other communications costs. The company projects a return on investment (ROI) of over 200 percent over four years using Windows Media Technologies.
“Companies across the country are finding out that using Windows Media makes enterprisewide meetings and just-in-time training possible,”
said Dave Fester, general manager of marketing for the Digital Media Division at Microsoft.
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Windows Media has rapidly become the leading enterprise choice because it’s a cost-effective platform with proven reliability and scalability on Windows â2000, and it easily integrates with companies’ existing network and software environments.”
MDC’s October 2000 study of 700 large organizations found that in the six months since MDC’s last study on enterprise adoption, the usage of Windows Media among large organizations has grown from 46 percent to 68 percent and the number of organizations deploying Windows Media as their only digital media platform has increased from 23 percent to 39 percent.
New Study Shows Rapid ROI for J.D. Edwards’ Streaming Solution
A recent study by Perey Research found that the J.D. Edwards’ own internally developed streaming media knowledge management solution, built on Windows Media Technologies, paid for itself in the first year through reduced travel costs and lower audio conference call charges. J.D. Edwards created an intranet portal called KnowledgeGarden for its more than 5,500 employees in 50 offices worldwide. This portal enables employees to access, via their intranet, video-rich in-house communications, interactive collaborative training and streamed presentations, including quarterly meetings led by CEO Ed McVaney.
“J.D. Edwards’ use of streaming media enhances its comprehensive knowledge management and communications solution,”
said Christine Perey, principal consultant, Perey Research.
“As a result, new ideas and innovations are more quickly understood and adopted across the company. Based on my research, I also found that this Windows Media-based solution reduced costs for training and cross-company communications, resulting in a swift pay back of their initial investment in the first year. The current installation has a projected ROI of over 200 percent by the fourth year. If usage and applications grow – and we anticipate that they will – the company will realize a yet higher return on their investment.”
New Service Providers Solutions Help Drive Enterprise Customer Adoption
Innovative Windows Media solutions from key industry service providers like Activate Corp., Akamai Technologies Inc. and iBeam Broadcasting Corp. have fueled strong growth in enterprise customers’ adoption of Windows Media. Each application service provider has worked with customers to deploy more effective, efficient business-to-business and business-to-consumer communications solutions based on Windows Media Technologies. Here are some examples of these innovative customer solutions:
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StreetFusion , a leading network for financial events, together with Activate , its streaming and digital media events provider, are delivering approximately 1,200 streamed audio corporate earnings calls per quarter to its customers using Windows Media. Over 3,500 public companies have used StreetFusion’s services to webcast corporate financial events to the investment community. StreetFusion chose to standardize on broadcasting exclusively in Windows Media based on input from its customers and a careful analysis of all products that showed Windows Media would provide the highest quality, most widely deployed platform and drive the most cost-effective solution for its business.
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SpecialtyMD , working with Akamai Technologies , has developed an online e-learning solution for physicians. SpecialtyMD provides specialty clinicians with an interactive Web site that is a definitive source of information about clinical innovations, products and procedures. The company produces webcasts of the latest clinical conferences, and offers a robust database with outcome studies, unbiased product information and clinical trials. Hosting an average of 10 medical conferences a year, SpecialtyMD is now using Windows Media audio and video to webcast these conference sessions and deliver a regular seminar series enabling audience members to learn just-in-time details about new products and services.
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Pre-Paid Legal Services teamed with iBEAM Broadcasting to take advantage of Windows Media for an innovative and cost-effective way to keep its associates updated with the latest company news and information. IBEAM’s Activecast Solution was able to meet Pre-Paid Legal’s needs by including live remote production, streaming audio and video using Windows Media, synchronized presentation graphics, creation of real-time Web links for background information and Web delivery directly to the user’s PC desktop.
StreetFusion, SpecialtyMD and Pre-Paid Legal Services join the rapidly going list of companies that have deployed Windows Media-based solutions including Aetna Inc., Creative Artists Agency, Charles Schwab & Company Inc., Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Dow Chemical Co., Hewlett-Packard Co., Partners HealthCare Systems Inc., SAS Institute Inc., Deere & Co., Northrop Grumman Corp., Eastman Chemical Co., 3Com Corp. and Fujitsu PC Co.
About Market Decisions
Market Decisions Corp. (MDC) has been in business since 1978 and has been conducting market research for a diverse list of companies in a variety of industries from high technology to retail markets. The firm is one of the largest in the Northwest. Since MDC’s inception, it has provided research services designed to measure levels of customer loyalty, brand identity, community perceptions, product development, product usability and customer satisfaction. In this time, MDC has been involved in projects across a wide range of products, marketing efforts and audiences and currently serves industry leaders in the utility, high-tech, health-care and manufacturing industries.
About Windows Media
Windows Media is the leading digital media platform, providing unmatched audio and video quality to consumers, content providers, solution providers, software developers and corporations. Windows Media offers the industry’s only integrated rights-management solution and the most scalable and reliable streaming technology tested by independent labs. Windows Media Technologies includes Windows Media Player for consumers, Windows Media Services for servers, Windows Media Tools for content creation, and the Windows Media Software Development Kit (SDK) for software and hardware developers. Windows Media Player, available in 26 languages, is the fastest-growing media player. More information about Windows Media can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, Windows Media and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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