LET BUSINESS PUT VIDEO STREAMING TO THE TEST There was one important aspect of video-streaming technology not cited in ''The 800-pound gorilla's new toy'' (Information & Technology, May 11). Microsoft Corp.'s Net Show and Real Networks' technologies may be ''ready for prime time,'' but it would be premature to toast their success until Corporate America uses the technology to enhance daily business processes. Until businesses turn streaming from a novelty to a novel approach, the technology will not pay for itself. The consumer application of streaming still suggests an unproven revenue model. Can advertising support it? Can pay-per-view? Companies such as Cisco Systems, Federal Express, and Boeing, however, are beginning to use streaming technology for reseller training. Schools such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology are using streaming for distance learning, conferences, and other applications. Like other emerging technologies, once streaming is incorporated into corporate best practices for communication with geographically dispersed audiences, it will then be ready for prime time. Paul Berberian President VStream Inc. Boulder, Colo.

Updated June 4, 1998 by bwwebmaster
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